NEW STUDY SHOWS POST-ABORTION SUPPORT GROUPS WORK

(The Elliot Institute News Vol.2, No. 12 -- Dec. 7, 2004 )

A new study published in the journal Research on Social Work Practice has highlighted the importance of faith-based post-abortion support groups in helping women heal after abortion. The researchers found that women who went through post-abortion support groups with a spiritual component experienced a significant decrease in symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and feelings of shame. More than 80 percent of the 35 women in the study reported that their religious beliefs and spiritual intervention played a strong to very strong role in the groups they attended. The researchers recommended that social workers screen women for symptoms of post-abortion grief and make referrals to organizations offering post-abortion help.

Study Citation: SD Layer, C Roberts, K Wild, J Walters. Postabortion Grief: Evaluating the Possible Efficacy of a Spiritual Group Intervention. Research on Social Work Practice, Vol. 14, No. 5, 344-350 (2004). http://rsw.sagepub.com/cgi/content/refs/14/5/344.
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