The Christian Post: Women who have abortions face an “increased risk of mental health-related hospitalisation” compared to those who carry their pregnancies to term, according to a recent study.
Researchers oversaw a retrospective cohort study of 28,721 induced abortions and approximately 1.22 million births at hospitals in Quebec, Canada, between 2006 and 2022.
They followed up with women after their pregnancies to identify any mental health-related hospitalizations to see if there was a link between induced abortion and hospitalisation.
According to the study, “abortion is associated with an increased risk of mental health-related hospitalization in the long term, but the association weakens with time.”
“Rates of mental health-related hospitalisation were higher following induced abortions than other pregnancies,” noted the report, adding that women who had abortions experienced higher rates of “substance use disorders” and “suicide attempts” when “compared with other pregnancies.”
“The associations were greater for patients who had preexisting mental illness,” or were younger than 25 at the time of their abortion.
David Reardon, director of the Elliot Institute, a pro-life organisation, said in a statement released last week that the study was the most recent confirmation of a link between abortion and severe mental health problems.
“This is the latest in a string of record-based studies that do not suffer from any self-selection or recall bias. Plus, the authors fully controlled for women’s mental health histories before and after their abortions,” said Reardon.
“They found that prior mental health problems clearly magnify the risk that abortion will exacerbate the risk of a psychiatric crisis, but there [was] also elevated risks for women with no prior mental health issues.”
Reardon went on to note that while “it is difficult to know when, if ever, abortion may be the sole cause of any mental health problem,” it was also “ridiculous to assert that abortion never contributes to mental health issues.”
“We now know that the majority of abortion patients say that their abortions did negatively impact their mental health. To insist that abortion never impacts mental health is, essentially … an absurd, ideologically driven fantasy,” he added.
In 2023, BMC Psychiatry, an open-access, peer-reviewed journal, published an analysis of 15 papers that found, overall, 34.5% of women worldwide who had an abortion experienced depression.
“In conclusion, the occurrence of post-abortion depression has been observed to be widespread globally,” stated the 2023 study. “Healthcare providers should prioritize the provision of post-abortion counseling, care, and emotional support to women.”
This article first appeared at The Christian Post and is reproduced here under their Fair Use policy.
In Australia, abortion law varies from state to state or territory. On this page we have listed the laws for each jurisdiction and listed the pertinent sections of each law. Where exclusion-zones exist to prevent pro-life people from helping mothers near an abortion business, those are also noted.
To find support services for each state, as well as Australia-wide services, please go to our Pro-life Supports page.
Click on the jurisdiction below to jump to the desired law:
After 23 weeks, 2 doctors must agree to the abortion
Chemical abortions to 9 weeks via GP or teleheath
Pro-life doctors must give abortion-minded mothers a government-produced brochure which explains how they can procure an abortion
Data is collected in South Australia and all abortions must be reported to the Chief Executive of the Department for Health and Wellbeing within 20 days of the end of the month
Our 2025 Conference was a great success and we were blessed with some highly experienced and articulate speakers. On this page, you can find links to the videos of those conference talks, which were recorded on the day.
Click on the links below to access the conference talks:
Many people can’t put into words what they are feeling after an abortion, and sometimes, that might never even happen. I can explain, however, that there is a way to do this, and that is through spiritual healing…. If I hadn’t experienced my own healing, I would not have been able to do that either…. so now I am in a position to share my story with you.
Anne as a young girl
I had an abortion in 1975, when I was only 16 years of age. This was not my choice…. and there is no need in telling you who that person was who made that choice for me, because it doesn’t change anything, and I have forgiven that person a long time ago…. Also, it doesn’t change what I went through for years later, in fact for more than 29 years later…. During that time, I went through many emotions, anger, hatred, loneliness, and even being suicidal…
Close to suicide
The scariest time of all was when I was 18 years old and only been married a few months. I was coming home from work on a train in Sydney. Keep in mind that trains didn’t have automatic doors back then. If any of you remember those trains, they were called the red rattlers…
I was standing at the open doors of the carriage with my toes just over the edge, contemplating to step out…. I remember that day as if it was yesterday…. Hindsight is a marvellous thing….
I remember a presence behind me. I didn’t look around, however, that presence was telling me to step back and that he was ready to catch me, he was there for me. Now so many years later I know that was God…. God was with me at that moment and made sure I didn’t go any further. That was back in 1977 (48 years ago and 2 years after the abortion).
A ‘red rattler’
It took me another 25 years after that to reach out for help. I started seeing a psychologist, who helped me so much, however, still didn’t quite hit the spot. I was still searching for something. There was still something missing. That is, till I reached out to two very long-time friends who were part of the Rachel’s Vineyard retreat team in Sydney. I realized then that I hadn’t cried about this for those 29 years till I spoke to those friends, one being a priest.
Some people might think it would be easy to pick up the phone and ask for help, however, it takes a lot of courage to take that first step, to make that phone call. I’m not just talking about myself, but for all women and men that have had an abortion experience in their lives. Really, that applies to anyone who has had a traumatic event in their lives.
After those two phone calls, I agreed to attend that retreat in Sydney on the first weekend of October 2004. That weekend was totally life changing. I met Christ exactly in the place where I was, which was a place of brokenness. Attending one of these retreats, becomes life changing. Again, I don’t only speak for myself here, but for others that have shared their experiences of attending those retreats with me.
Spiritual healing is paramount
Until I went to that retreat, my life felt as if I was in quicksand. For nearly 3 decades, I was sinking in this quicksand and trying everything to get out. Then I attended the Rachel’s Vineyard retreat. The retreat took us deeper and deeper into a state of meditation and prayer. I was able to tap into my 16 year-old self and knowing I was doing this for her.
By doing the work that weekend, I started the journey of coming out of that quicksand. Each step I took, Jesus was there with me, He was there for me every step of the way. This experience was what I was missing and what I longed for. Come the Sunday morning of the retreat, my heart was ready to accept God’s mercy. Having been in that place, I knew that Jesus and my baby had forgiven me. I was able to breathe again……
Something I have learnt since that retreat, is that we need to take care of ourselves and our inner child. This is so important, because otherwise that inner child will never find that healing, he or she deserves. I am no expert; however, I do keep trying…. And that is something we all need to keep working at.
After a few months being back home, I got highly motivated and started the retreat in Tasmania and eventually took it to NZ, Singapore, Penang Malaysia, Perth and Brisbane. I ran this retreat for nearly 14 years before it was time for me to give it up. In that time, my team and I came across many women and men with so many experiences and reasons for them going ahead with the abortion…. Something for all of us to keep in mind, is that not all decisions to have an abortion, come from a place of freedom…
Coercion, lack of choice
For sure, some women choose quite easily to have an abortion, and even use it as a form of contraception; however, it’s not always the case. Some people are put in a situation as I was, and are forced into that procedure. Even some men don’t even get a say, maybe because the woman didn’t tell him she was pregnant until after the abortion had taken place, or she might say, “My Body, My Choice”.
There there was one couple that came to one of our retreats after having three healthy children, they were pregnant with their fourth healthy child, until their doctor convincingly told them, that since the husband had diabetes, he would never live long enough to watch his baby baby grow up.
Can you even begin to imagine what that would have been like for those parents!! How sad and traumatic is that…. As far as I know that man is still alive…. We so often feel that we can’t question our doctor, but we can! Don’t let anyone tell you differently.
A different example of a doctor’s approach, is when our youngest daughter, and her husband were planning to start a family of their own. The time came when she did the home pregnancy test and it showed up ‘positive’. Her next step was to confirm this with a GP. Once the pregnancy was confirmed, the doctor, just came right out and asked her “What do you want to do about it?”
Thankfully there was no question for my daughter or our son in-law. This is something they wanted; they planned for. There was no reason for this GP to question it. Of course, she never went to him again. We now have a gorgeous 11yr old grandson.
People that are sometimes put in a place where they have to choose, would be at their lowest. They would be scared on so many levels and most of them would feel that they have no choice and sadly they go through with the abortion…. Thankfully, we now know there is another choice and that is to go through with the pregnancy…. There is so much help out there now, compared to when I was 16 years old. {See our website for pregnancy support around Australia.}
Unless you walk a mile
So, while we continue with our day, please remember, not everyone chooses abortion from a place of freedom. We can’t stand in judgement; however, we can continue to hope and pray that they will change their minds. Also, that our governments, State and Federal will actually realise what they have approved and what they are paying for with our tax payers’ money.
We also need to keep advocating for these unborn babies and for the women and men that find themselves in a situation where they have to choose. We also need to keep praying and raising awareness for those who choose abortion freely.
There is a saying I use, and that is: “Unless you have walked a mile in my shoes, you truly don’t know what I have gone through….” Let us be generous with our thoughts while we continue our mission in saving the unborn and saving lives at all stages of life.
{NOTE: although Anne’s abortion took place many years ago, there is plenty of evidence to show that abortion coercion remains common. See recent articles here, here and here.}
by Anne Sherston. Anne is the President of the Human life Protection Society, based in Tasmania. Anne ran Rachel’s Vineyard retreats for 14 years, and joined the HLPS in 2023. Please see the links at the top of this page for other conference talks.
For information about post-abortion healing, please see the Rachel’s Vineyard website
In December 2015, Pope Francis declared 2016 to be a Jubilee Year of Mercy. The Catholic Women’s League Tasmania Inc. (CWL) responded by submitting a proposal to Archbishop Julian Porteous to establish a memorial to unborn babies lost through abortion. The location selected was consecrated land at St John’s Church, Richmond Tasmania.
Catholic Women’s League Tasmania Inc. (CWL) represent Catholic women across the state of Tasmania. As a pro-life group, the League has found abortion to be a divisive, polarizing, emotive and moral issue but they have continued to lobby and educate politicians, write submissions, publish letters in newspapers and voice their concern in the community.
Local sculptor Ben Tolhurst was commissioned to shape and form the memorial in marble and granite. CWL set the parameters; a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket that cascaded down the front of a plinth, with its tiny head resting comfortably on a pillow and eyes gently closed. This sculpture represents a baby – secure, loved and resting in peace in God’s care.
An unexpected outcome of the memorial was the donation of money to purchase two locally built seats, one in memory of Margaret Sykes and the other Senator Brian Harradine, both tireless pro-life advocates.
The Memorial is built on church grounds accessible to anyone of any faith or no faith who is experiencing grief from a termination. They come to pray, contemplate, reflect and find peace and healing.
On July 3 2017, the memorial was blessed by Rev Father Micheal Tate accompanied by St John’s Parish Priest, Father Terry Rush.
Prayer cards are available in St John’s Church, Richmond. An image of the Memorial graces the cover with the words:
In memory of children lost to us through abortion now in God’s care.
On the back of the card is a prayer written by Noel Roberts, a Catholic pro-life activist.
“Watch over the stirrings of life in the womb And bring it to fruition. May it suffer no untimely birth at nature’s whim nor violence at our hands. Let every human life show forth the Creator’s love and strengthen the human family. Made in Your image, let each child thrive and come to fullness in due time”
As 2025 kicks in, it has been revealed that abortion was the leading cause of death globally in 2024, with over 45 million unborn children killed in the womb in 2024.
The startling information was provided by Worldometer, a reference website recognised by the American Library Association for it’s comprehensive global statistics. The website reported that 45,129,912 abortions had been performed worldwide as of noon on New Years Eve.
This figure represents 42% of all deaths globally for the year, compared to 62.5 million total deaths from all other causes.
By comparison, cancer claimed 8.2 million lives, smoking resulted in 5 million deaths, HIV/Aids accounted for 1.7 million deaths, traffic accidents caused 1.35 million fatalities and suicide resulted in 1.1 million deaths. Abortions in 2024 outnumbered the combined deaths from cancer, malaria, HIV/Aids, smoking, alcohol and traffic fatalities, demonstrating the magnitude of the procedure’s global impact.
Worldometer’s abortion statistics are drawn from the latest figures provided by the World Health Organisation. The organisation tracks global health data, including abortions, as part of its mandate to monitor public health trends.
