Postabortion psychological adjustment: Are minors at increased risk?

Purpose: To assess whether younger adolescents experience greater adverse p sychological outcomes after abortion than those aged 18-21 years, whether a bortion places all adolescents at risk for negative sequelae, and what fact ors predict negative outcomes. Methods: A total of 96 young women aged 14-21 years seeking counseling for unwanted pregnancies at four clinics completed questionnaires after counsel ing. These included the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), an emotion scale, questions regarding sociodemographic and reproductive background, feelings about pregnancy, and decision-making. Sixty-three respondents were reinterv iewed 4 weeks postabortion and completed the BDI, emotion scale, Spielberge r State Anxiety Inventory, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, Impact of Events Sc ale, and Positive States of Mind Scale. Chi-squares and Student's t-tests w ere used to compare: (a) responses of adolescents under 18 years of age wit h those 18-21 years, (b) preabortion and postabortion responses, and (c) th e current sample with other samples of adolescents. Results: Adolescents under age 18 years were less comfortable with their de cision, but showed no other differences compared with those aged 18-21 year s. Both groups showed significant improvement in psychological responses po stabortion. Postabortion scores did not differ significantly from those of other adolescent samples reported in the literature. Preabortion emotional state and perception of partner pressure predicted postabortion response. Conclusions: Despite its legal significance, age 18 years was not a meaning ful cutoff point for psychological response to abortion in this sample. The re was no evidence that abortion poses a threat to adolescents' psychologic al well-being. (C) Society for Adolescent Medicine 2001.