Personality and psychological distress in legal abortion, threatened miscarriage and normal pregnancy.
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.
Rizzardo
R
R
Department of Psychiatry, University of Padua, Italy.
Novarin
S
S
Forza
G
G
Cosentino
M
M
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