The New York Times featured an article reviewing a recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry exploring whether or not women who receive or are denied an abortion experience negative mental health effects. Researchers interviewed nearly 1,000 women and assessed several aspects of their psychological wellbeing and life satisfaction every six months for five years following a received or denied abortion. This article points out that in certain states, regulations around access to the procedure are based on the assumption that receiving an abortion can negatively affect emotional wellbeing, but this study’s conclusions do not support that argument. Read the full article from The New York Times to learn additional reasons this study’s findings are so important and how its methods differ from previous research explorations on this topic.

Two conclusions from the study, as stated in JAMA Psychiatry, include:

See the original report in JAMA Psychiatry for more specifics around the study and findings. 

For more information on women’s health topics, view our list of resources on FindaPsychologist.org, which includes a link to more information on this particular topic on the American Psychological Association’s website.