Source
School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Herston Road, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia. s4002827@student.uq.edu.au
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Recent evidence has linked induced abortion with later adverse psychiatric outcomes in young women.
AIMS:
To examine whether abortion or miscarriage are associated with subsequent psychiatric and substance use disorders.
METHOD:
A sample (n=1223) of women from a cohort born between 1981 and 1984 in Australia were assessed at 21 years for psychiatric and substance use disorders and lifetime pregnancy histories.
RESULTS:
Young women reporting a pregnancy loss had nearly three times the odds of experiencing a lifetime illicit drug disorder (excluding cannabis): abortion odds ratio (OR)=3.6 (95% CI 2.0-6.7) and miscarriage OR=2.6 (95% CI 1.2-5.4). Abortion was associated with alcohol use disorder (OR=2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.5) and 12-month depression (OR=1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.1).
CONCLUSIONS:
These findings add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that pregnancy loss per se, whether abortion or miscarriage, increases the risk of a range of substance use disorders and affective disorders in young women.