Incidence of post-abortion psychosis: A prospective study

Abstract

Twenty-one consultant psychiatrists participated in a prospective study of post-abortion psychosis among a population of 1 333 000 people. During the 15-month study only a single case was reported, concerning a woman who had a history of two previous attacks of puerperal psychosis. The incidence of post-abortion psychosis was 0.3 per 1000 legal abortions. The incidence of puerperal psychosis, which was also studied as an index of validity, was 1.7 per 1000 deliveries. This conforms with currently accepted figures and indicates that the study population was representative. I suggest that physiological changes, which are probably more profound after childbirth than after abortion, may be responsible for the higher incidence of puerperal psychosis. © 1977, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.