Do abortion policy changes affect young women’s mental health?

After the June 2022 US Supreme Court ruling that allowed states to ban abortion, women of childbearing age in states where abortion became illegal reported increased rates of anxiety. That’s according to a new study published in Contemporary Economic Policy.

The study relied on data from the Household Pulse Survey, a monthly online survey by the United States Census Bureau in collaboration with other federal agencies that gathers a vast array of data on representative samples of American adults from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Investigators analyzed information on the 126,834 adults in waves 41–49, roughly capturing the period between January and September of 2022—before and after the Supreme Court ruling.

Women of reproductive age, especially those with young children, living in states where abortion became illegal after the ruling reported greater increases in anxiety symptoms relative to both older women living in the same states and similar-age women living in other states where abortion access remained unchanged. Younger men (especially white men and men without children) in states where abortion became illegal reported decreases in anxiety symptoms.

“The survey data shows just how strongly people feel about abortion policies,” said corresponding author J. Michael Collins, PhD, of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The study's co-author, Vivekananda Das, PhD, of the University of Utah, added that “younger women are highly aware of state-level abortion policy changes, and this awareness can take a toll on their mental health. The contrast with younger men in the same states highlights a notable gender gap in response to these policies."

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/coep.12678

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First published in 1982, Contemporary Economic Policy publishes scholarly research and analysis on important policy issues facing society. The journal provides insight into the complexity of policy decisions and communicates evidence-based solutions in a form accessible to economists and policy makers. Contemporary Economic Policy provides a forum for debate by enhancing our understanding of key issues and methods used for policy analysis.

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