Medical or surgical abortion and psychiatric outcomes

Abstract

Aim. The objectives of this study are to compare the risk of psychological depression after medical and surgical abortions in first two trimesters and to evaluate the risk factors for post-abortion depression.

Method. A retrospective study was conducted throughout 367 women who underwent surgical abortion and 458 women who underwent medical abortion between January 2006 and January 2007 in Dr. Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Hospital. Women were assessed by clinical psychologists one week after the intervention. The clinical characteristics and psychological assessment of these women were statistically correlated by means of non-parametric tests.

Results. Of the study population, 27.1% was diagnosed with post-abortion depression. The frequency of post-abortion depression was 34.3% in surgical abortion patients and 22.8% in medical abortion patients. The women who underwent surgical abortion were found to have significantly elevated risk of post-abortion depression. The women with a high risk of post-abortion depression were significantly younger and had a more frequent history of psychiatric and depressive disorders.

Conclusion. An important quotient of women experiences post-abortion mood depression which is significantly more frequent after surgical abortion. Women with past psychiatric and anxiety disorders should be carefully monitored for depression when they would undergo an abortion.

Keywords:

• Abortion
• depression
• psychiatric outcome

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.