Examining the relationship of Socioeconomic Position on the Emotional Burden of Abortion and the Potential Moderating role of Relationship Stability with the Conception Partner

Abstract

Abortion is a significant life event that affects individuals in different ways, for some it may be more burdensome than for others. This variation in experienced burden may be unequally distributed and related to the level of resources and support available to individuals. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the extent to which socioeconomic differences are related to the emotional burden of having abortion and to examine how relationship stability with the conception partner might moderate this effect. The study utilized data from the first wave of the Dutch Abortion and Mental Health Study (DAMHS), a longitudinal cohort study. Data was collected using structured interviews and standardized questionnaires with 325 Dutch-speaking women aged 18 to 46 who underwent the abortion procedure in the Netherlands. A binary logistic regression model was used to test the hypothesized relationships. Emotional burden was the dependent variable, while the independent variables were educational level and work status (proxies of socioeconomic position). Relationship stability was the moderator and psychiatric history the control variable. The results indicated that education and work did not significantly affect the emotional burden of having an abortion. The effect of relationship stability with conception partner was also insignificant and it did not moderate the relationship with socioeconomic factors and emotional burden. However, in line with previous research, a significant effect of psychiatric history on the emotional burden of having an abortion was found. Therefore, further research is recommended to better understand the relationship between psychiatric history and the experienced emotional burden of having an abortion. Psychiatric history is an important variable to take into consideration when studying the emotional response to abortion.