Mental health is the most commonly cited reason for abortion in many countries. Pro-abortion advocates argue that legally protecting the unborn imposes an unbearable toll on mothers' mental health, exposing them to stress and conditions such as depression. The chapter examines whether this is supported by evidence.
The chapter analyses two major reviews, by the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health (2011) and Fergusson (2013), neither authored by pro-life researchers, and answers objections to a link between abortion and worse mental health. Evidence shows associations between abortion and increased risks of suicide, anxiety, and likely substance abuse, persisting after adjusting for prior mental health; the most reliable study attributed 1.5-5.5% of disorders to abortion.
The claim that abortion preserves mental health thus has no evidentiary basis; a compassionate response to unplanned pregnancy is to support continuing it rather than exposing mothers to abortion's risks.
Graduated from the University of Oxford Medical School in 2015. Currently working as a medical doctor in the UK. He also teaches philosophy at the University of Oxford; his research at the university focuses on abortion policy in practice. He also holds a master’s degree with honors in biblical studies. Dr. Miller has given more than 40 academic presentations around the world and has participated in numerous debates pitting him against the CEO of the UK’s largest private abortion provider, BPAS. He has published papers in top academic centers on a variety of topics, including maternal mortality in developing countries, the ethics of voting on abortion, pain felt by animals and foetus, abortion and mental health, abortion using telemedicine, academic freedom and the philosophy of religion. He has received awards for his work in bioethics from Oxford University and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He has presented his views to a wide range of professionals and parliamentarians around the world. He regularly appears in the mainstream media in the UK and is invited to speak to various professional groups, such as the Association of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in Uganda.

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