The loss of a pregnancy can cause a woman to suffer depression. The Institute of Basic Sciences in Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Buskerud Hospital, Norway conducted a five-year study of women who endured miscarriages and induced abortions. This paper will assess the content of the study, its adherence to APA guidelines, as well as other technically issues of the study.
Assessment
This study appears statistically sound. Researchers studied a diverse sample of women from various socioeconomic, educational, age, employment, marital, and psychiatric backgrounds. The study does not appear to express bias, but including religious affiliations and ethnicities of respondents would significantly add to the data because these categories play a major role in accepting the loss of an unborn child or deciding the morality of abortion by the woman. The study does not imply any ideas or offer any opinions that are not relevant to the study. The study categorizes its total sample into various categories, for example of the 120 women tested (40 miscarried and 80 aborted) 27.5% of the women who miscarried obtained a university level education the numbers for those who aborted were 22.5% (Broen et al., 2006). Categories for employment status consisted of regular employment, temporary employment, working at home, and other. None of the categories stigmatized the women and their situations.
Discussion
The article does not provide graphs, but has a chart that provides all the data collected in the study. All data collected from respondents was appropriate for the purpose of the study; proper authorization was received from the respondents’ physicians and respondents before the attempting to collect data. The article did not compromise patient privacy and confidentiality. The study results differed from the hypothesis; it found that 32.5% of women who miscarried showed anxiety 10 days after termination as opposed to 37.5% of those who aborted. At five years post-termination, 20.5% of women who miscarried and 34.3% of those who aborted experienced anxiety (Broen et al, 2006). Researchers conducted the study in a thorough manner and provided a diverse sample; again, the study would benefit by show the respondents’ religious and ethnic background.
In conclusion, the study found that women who aborted are at greater risk of anxiety and depression than those who miscarried. The results of the study are different from what the researches expected to find. Researchers conducted the study free from bias and personal opinions.
References
Broen, A., Moum, T., B¶dtker, A., & Ekeberg, O. (2006). Predictors of anxiety and depression
following pregnancy termination: a longitudinal five-year follow-up study. Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica , 85(3), 317-323. Retrieved from EBSCO host .