Fatal flaws in a recent meta-analysis on abortion and mental health.

Contraception
Julia R SteinbergKate Guthrie

Abstract

Similar to other reviews within the last 4 years, a thorough review by the Royal College of Psychiatrists, published in December 2011, found that compared to delivery of an unintended pregnancy, abortion does not increase women's risk of mental health problems. In contrast, a meta-analysis published in September 2011 concluded that abortion increases women's risk of mental health problems by 81% and that 10% of mental health problems are attributable to abortions. Like others, we strongly question the quality of this meta-analysis and its conclusions. Here we detail seven errors of this meta-analysis and three significant shortcomings of the included studies because policy, practice and the public have been misinformed. These errors and shortcomings render the meta-analysis' conclusions invalid.

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Citations

Dec 25, 2013·BMC Women's Health·Inger Wallin LundellAgneta Skoog Svanberg
Jan 7, 2016·Social Science & Medicine·Julia R SteinbergCynthia C Harper
Oct 16, 2015·American Journal of Public Health·M Antonia BiggsDiana G Foster
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Jan 22, 2014·Social Science & Medicine·Kelli Stidham HallJennifer Barber
Jul 23, 2016·Contraception·Erin N Berry-BibeeKathryn M Curtis
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Aug 20, 2019·Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines·Irene TungAlison E Hipwell
Oct 11, 2019·Obstetrics and Gynecology·Rebecca H Allen
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Apr 25, 2018·Health & Social Care in the Community·Gretchen E ElyKafuli Agbemenu
Aug 17, 2021·Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience·Angela Lanfranchi

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