Pregnancy loss and psychiatric disorders in young women: an Australian birth cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Recent evidence has linked induced abortion with later adverse psychiatric outcomes in young women.


OBJECTIVE
To examine whether abortion or miscarriage are associated with subsequent psychiatric and substance use disorders.


METHODS
A sample (n=1223) of women from a cohort born between 1981 and 1984 in Australia were assessed at 21 years for psychiatric and substance use disorders and lifetime pregnancy histories.


RESULTS
Young women reporting a pregnancy loss had nearly three times the odds of experiencing a lifetime illicit drug disorder (excluding cannabis): abortion odds ratio (OR)=3.6 (95% CI 2.0-6.7) and miscarriage OR=2.6 (95% CI 1.2-5.4). Abortion was associated with alcohol use disorder (OR=2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.5) and 12-month depression (OR=1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.1).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings add to the growing body of evidence suggesting that pregnancy loss per se, whether abortion or miscarriage, increases the risk of a range of substance use disorders and affective disorders in young women.
Dingle
Kaeleen
K
School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Herston Road, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia. s4002827@student.uq.edu.au
Alati
Rosa
R
Clavarino
Alexandra
A
Najman
Jake M
JM
Williams
Gail M
GM
D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000523:psychology*; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult