Does Medication Abortion Cause An Increase In Mental Health Problems?

A new study published in JAMA Psychiatry looked at medication and procedural abortion and the risk of psychotropic medication use.

“We examined whether medication or procedural abortion increased the risk of mental health medication use,” study author Julia Steinberg told us. Steinberg is Associate Professor in the Department of Family Science School of Public Health at the University of Maryland. “Based on previous research we have conducted, we did not think medication or procedural abortion would increase risk of mental health medication use.”

The research team chose to study this topic because of the increase in the percentage and proportion of abortions performed by medication worldwide and the claims that medication abortion causes mental health problems. They also studied this topic because of the request that the US Food and Drug Administration review data on the effects of mifepristone, the first medication in a medication abortion in the U.S.

“We examined whether mental health medication use increased after a medication or procedural abortion relative to the year before the abortion using conventional level of statistical significance,” Steinberg told us. 

The study results showed that when adjusting for multiple tests, there were no significant increases in psychotropic medication use (any first psychotropic medication use, any first antidepressant medication use, and any first anti-anxiety medication use) in the year after or 1-2 years after a medication or procedural abortion relative to the year beforehand. There was also a decreased risk of any first psychotropic medication use more than five years after a medication or procedural abortion relative to the year before. 

The researchers weren’t surprised with the results. 

“This research supports other research showing that abortion does not cause an increase in mental health problems as indicated by psychotropic medication use, an indicator of mild mental health symptoms in Denmark.,” Steinberg told us. “Neither medication nor procedural abortions cause an increase in psychotropic medication use. It is important for policy and practice to know that neither medication nor procedural abortions cause an increase in psychotropic medication use.”  

Categories: Anxiety , Depression , Grief and Loss | Tags: abortion, mental health, anxiety