Mental consequences of unwanted motherhood

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The psychological consequences of unwanted motherhood are understood to mean, on the one hand, the psychological consequences suffered by a woman who unintentionally has to give birth to a child, for example because she was refused an abortion . On the other hand, it refers to the consequences that the child suffers as a result of being unwanted.

Consequences of unwanted motherhood

Studies show that women who are denied an abortion, like their children, are exposed to psychological risks. 34% of all women who were denied an abortion said they viewed their child as a burden. Children of mothers who have been denied abortion have more psychosomatic illnesses than other children; they have poorer school grades and need psychiatric treatment more often. In a study from Sweden, 24% of women who were denied an abortion had not been able to adjust to the situation. 53% found it difficult to adapt and 23% could be described as well adapted to the situation.

According to a study on these, mothers of unwanted children often have relationships characterized by negative emotions. Unwanted children are beaten more often and their parents spend less time with them. This affects the personal development of the children and their school performance. The influences on mental health, professional life and married life of unwanted children are still evident in adulthood.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Planned Parenthood: The Emotional Effects of Induced Abortion .
  2. ^ Paul K. Dagg: The Psychological Sequelae of Therapeutic Abortion. Denied and Completed . In: American Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 148, 1991, Issue 5, pp. 578-585, ISSN  0002-953X .
  3. ^ Henry P. David: Unwanted Children. A Follow-Up from Prague . In: Family Planning Perspectives , Volume 18, 1986, Issue 3. 143-144, ISSN  0014-7354 .
  4. ↑ Wendell W. Watters: Mental Health Consequences of Abortion and Refused Abortion . In: Canadian Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 25, 1980, Issue 1, pp. 68-73, ISSN  0008-4824 .
  5. ↑ Jennifer S. Barber et al. a .: Unwanted Childbearing, Health, and Mother-Child Relationships . In: Journal of Health and Social Behavior , Volume 40, 1999, Issue 3, pp. 231-257, ISSN  0022-1465 .