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.
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.
Authors: U Jonsson; H Bohman; A Hjern; L von Knorring; A Paaren; G Olsson; A-L von Knorring Journal: Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol Date: 2010-05-30 Impact factor: 4.328