The comparison of anxiety and depression in women with the experience of induced abortion and delivery of unwanted pregnancy

Abstract

Background. Unwanted pregnancy can affect the sweet experience of motherhood and put a person at the crossroads of abortion or childbirth unaware of how each choice can affect a person's mental health, especially anxiety and depression. This study aimed to compare the rates of anxiety and depression between two groups of women with the experience of induced abortion and unwanted delivery. Methods. This research was conducted among 420 women with experience of unwanted pregnancy, including 210 women with a history of induced abortion and 210 women with a history of unwanted delivery. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were the main tools for gathering the related information. We collected demographic information, including marital status, age, number of children, occupation, and level of education. The associated data was analyzed based on an independent t-test using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software 19. Results. The results showed that the rate of anxiety among women with a history of unwanted delivery was higher than those with induced abortion. Although there was no significant difference in depression between the two groups, most subscales of depression such as feelings of failure, dissatisfaction, guilt, self-blame, suicidal ideation, crying, apathy, indecision, feelings of worthlessness, impotence, changes in sleep patterns, irritability, changes in appetite, difficulty in concentration, fatigue, and sexual apathy in the group with a history of abortion were higher than the group of women with a history of unwanted delivery. In addition, the rate of anxiety and depression was higher among single women with experience of induced abortion than married ones (P<0.05). Conclusion. According to the results, different levels of depression are more likely to occur among women who experience induced abortion under the influence of cultural, social, and religious factors. On the other hand, the level of anxiety among mothers who choose the path of childbirth in the situation of unwanted pregnancy is higher due to the responsibilities of parenthood. Furthermore, the relationships out of the formal marriage in traditional societies like Iran are taboos and do not meet social acceptance; so single mothers have to abort secretly without having the right to choose. This coercion can explain the higher rate of anxiety and depression among single women with a history of induced abortion than married ones. Practical Implications. The results of the present study can be used in the field of applied research and the development of preventive and therapeutic protocols and cover a large number of mothers and infants affected by anxiety disorders and depression due to unwanted pregnancies.