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Abstract
Is there a relationship between restrictive state abortion laws and postpartum depression? Do states with restrictive abortion laws have higher rates of postpartum depression? If there is a relationship, does it differ by the type of restrictive state abortion law? Using the Centers for Disease Control's 2008 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System state survey of the percentage of women who gave birth and suffered from postpartum depression, states with and without restrictive abortion laws were compared. The empirical results found that there were no significant differences in the incidence of postpartum depression between states with parental involvement laws, mandatory counseling laws, waiting period laws, two-visit laws, and states without these restrictive abortion laws. States that prohibit the Medicaid funding of abortions have significantly higher rates of postpartum depression than in those states that fund Medicaid abortions.
