Depression and unwanted first pregnancy: longitudinal cohort study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Mental Health Research
• Sociology

Background:

• Previous research using the same dataset reported conflicting findings on the mental health outcomes of abortion versus live delivery.
• Understanding the relationship between unwanted pregnancy outcomes and depression is crucial for public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between terminating an unwanted first pregnancy and the risk of depression.
• To reconcile discrepancies in findings from prior analyses of the same dataset.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal cohort study was conducted using a nationally representative sample of US men and women aged 14-24 in 1979.
• 1247 women who experienced an unwanted first pregnancy (abortion or live delivery) were analyzed.
• Depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies depression scale in 1992.

Main Results:

• No direct relationship was found between terminating an unwanted first pregnancy and clinically significant depression (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.85-1.66).
• Subgroup analyses and investigations into non-respondent characteristics did not reveal a link between abortion and depression.
• Women who terminated their pregnancies had higher education and income, and smaller family sizes, factors associated with lower depression risk.

Conclusions:

• The evidence suggesting that terminating an unwanted first pregnancy increases depression risk is inconclusive.
• Differences in how a first pregnancy was coded likely explain discrepancies with previous research using this dataset.