Induced abortion and intimate relationship quality in the Chicago Health and Social Life Survey.

OBJECTIVES: To examine associations between abortion and relationship functioning. STUDY DESIGN: Independent variables included abortion in a previous relationship and abortion in a current relationship. Perceptions of quality-of-life changes associated with terminating the relationship, conflict, aggressiveness and sexual dysfunction were the outcome measures. METHODS: Data were derived from interviews with an ethnically diverse urban sample of men (n=658) and women (n=906). Surveys were conducted in person using computer-assisted personal interview technology by the National Opinion Research Center affiliated with the University of Chicago, USA. RESULTS: For men and women, the experience of an abortion in a previous relationship was related to negative outcomes in the current relationship; perceptions of improved quality of life if the current relationship also ended and intimate partner violence. Experience of an abortion within a current relationship was associated with 116% and 196% increased risk of arguing about children for women and men, respectively. Among females, experience of an abortion within a current relationship was associated with increased risk for various forms of sexual dysfunction (122-182%), increased risk of arguments about money (75%), increased risk of conflict about the partner's relatives (80%), and increased risk of arguing about the respondent's relatives (99%). Men whose current partners had experienced an abortion were more likely to report jealousy (96% greater risk) and conflict about drugs (385% greater risk). CONCLUSION: Abortion may play a vital role in understanding the aetiology of relationship problems.

Forgiveness intervention with postabortion men.

An intervention designed to foster forgiveness was implemented with postabortion men. Participants were randomly assigned to either the treatment or the control (wait list) condition, which received treatment after a 12-week waiting period. Following treatment, the participants demonstrated a significant gain in forgiveness and significant reductions in anxiety, anger, and grief as compared with controls. Similar significant findings were evident among control participants after they participated in the treatment. Maintenance of psychological benefits among the 1st set of participants was demonstrated at a 3-month follow-up.

PIP: The effectiveness of an intervention based on a process model of interpersonal forgiveness was investigated in a study of 10 US men who self-identified as hurt by their female partner's abortion decision. Participants were randomly assigned to immediate intervention (n = 5) or to a 12-week waiting period before exposure to the intervention (n = 5). Men in the experimental group showed a significantly greater increase in forgiveness as measured by the Enright Forgiveness Scale both before and after the intervention than controls (p 0.05). In addition, the experimental group's mean change scores on anxiety and grief were significantly reduced compared with controls (p 0.05). After the 12-week delay, when controls were exposed to the same intervention, they also demonstrated significant increases in forgiveness and decreases in anxiety, grief, and anger. Maintenance of psychological benefits among the men who received the intervention first was demonstrated at a 12-week follow-up. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at promoting forgiveness and emotional healing among postabortion men.