Distance to abortion facilities and depressive symptoms among reproductive-aged women of color after Dobbs

Introduction

Studies report greater mental distress among reproductive-aged women following Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The impacts of abortion restrictions, however, may differ by racial/ethnic identity. Dobbs may exacerbate adverse mental health among women of color due to longstanding reproductive injustice. We therefore examine whether greater distance to abortion facilities differentially impacts depressive symptoms among reproductive-aged women of color, relative to white women, after Dobbs.

Methods

As our exposure, we categorized weighted distance to the nearest abortion facility (0–25, 25–50, 50–100, 100 + miles). For our outcome, we use the Patient Health Questionnaire-2, a measure of depressive symptoms, among 191,680 reproductive aged (18–49) women of color. We use surveys from August 2020 – July 2023 from the nationally representative US Census Household Pulse Survey.

Results

We find that, after the Dobbs decision, women of color—but not white women—who live farthest from abortion facilities (100 + miles) show slightly greater depressive symptoms (Coeff: 0.10; SE: 0.04; p = 0.014) than those who live closest (0–25 miles).

Discussion

Increased distance to abortion facilities may invoke feelings of restricted bodily autonomy and overall disempowerment that degrade the mental health of reproductive-aged women of color.