title: Personality and psychological distress in legal abortion, threatened miscarriage and normal pregnancy.
abstract: A sample of 208 pregnant women (78 before the voluntary termination of pregnancy, 63 admitted to hospital because of a threatened miscarriage, 67 at the outpatient clinic for a routine antenatal visit) performed a personality test (EPI) and two tests to evaluate psychological distress (SCL-90 and GHQ). The women who were about to abort exhibited a higher level of psychological distress which was also related to an underlying personality structure with neurotic traits. The group with a threatened miscarriage exhibited an intermediate level of psychological distress but a structure of personality similar to the antenatal group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rizzardo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Novarin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Forza
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosentino
mesh_terms: D000029:Abortion, Legal / Q000523:psychology*; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological