Priscilla K. Coleman
Encyclopedia
Priscilla K. Coleman is a Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green State University
in Ohio. She has published articles in peer-reviewed journals suggesting a statistical correlation between abortion and mental health problems
, and has claimed in interviews that there is a causal relationship
.
Some other researchers have been unable to reproduce
Coleman's results on abortion and mental health despite using the same dataset, and have described her findings as "logically inconsistent" and potentially "substantially inflated" by faulty methodology. The American Psychological Association
(APA) and other major medical bodies have concluded that the evidence does not support a link between abortion and mental health problems, and APA panelists charged with reviewing the evidence were similarly critical of the methodology of Coleman's studies. Coleman has responded that she is not the only qualified scientist whose research suggests that abortion may have serious mental health risks for many women.
, and has a masters degree from James Madison University
and a Ph.D. from West Virginia University
.
Coleman's most cited work is "Self-Efficacy and Parenting Quality: Findings and Future Applications", co-authored with Katherine Hildebrandt Karraker in Developmental Review Vol. 18, no. 1 (March 1998). She has also published a series of articles reporting a correlation between induced abortion and mental-health problems
, findings which have proven controversial.
In September 2011 Coleman published a meta-analysis
of 22 studies, largely her own, in the British Journal of Psychiatry
, which reported results that "Women who had undergone an abortion experienced an 81% increased risk of mental health problems, and nearly 10% of the incidence of mental health problems was shown to be attributable to abortion."
the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
responded that four previous reviews of all available material, three published and one by the RCOG guideline development group, had found that women who have abortions did not face an increased risk of mental health problems, and suggested that Coleman's results were due to her failure to control for previously existing problems.
(APA).HINOJOSA: In emails, two prominent independent scientists, on a panel that is reviewing the scientific literature for the American Psychological Association told us the studies have "inadequate or inappropriate" controls and don't adequately control "for women's mental health prior to the pregnancy and abortion." A panel convened by the APA found that the studies by Coleman, and her co-authors have "inadequate or inappropriate" controls and don't adequately control "for women's mental health prior to the pregnancy and abortion."
Coleman, Cougle, Reardon and Rue have also been criticized by other researchers in the field. Psychologist Brenda Major published an article in the same issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal
that contained Coleman's "Psychiatric admissions of low-income women following abortion and childbirth"; this article, "Psychological implications of abortion—highly charged and rife with misleading research," criticized Coleman's study, saying that it did not distinguish correlation and cause, that the direction of causality could indeed be reversed, with psychiatric problems leading to a greater incidence of women having abortions, and that the study failed to control for factors such as relationship stability and education. Jillian Henderson, a professor of gynecology, and Katharine Miller wrote to the Journal of Anxiety Disorders, saying, "We believe that Cougle, et al., operate with strong political views regarding abortion, and unfortunately their biases appear to have resulted in serious methodological flaws in the analysis published in your journal.[Reardon, Coleman and Cougle] are involved in building a literature to be used in efforts to restrict access to abortion." Nancy Russo, a psychology professor and abortion researcher, examined two of Coleman and Reardon's articles, and found that when the methodological flaws in the studies were corrected, the supposed correlation between abortion and poor mental health disappeared.
According to a 2010 review of the group's analysis of the National Comorbidity Survey, an analysis which claimed that women who had abortions suffered from higher rates of depression and substance abuse, Coleman and her colleagues failed to control for pre-existing mental health problems and for other risk factors for mental health problems, such as sexual or physical violence. Julia Steinberg, one of the researchers, said, "We were unable to reproduce
the most basic tabulations of Coleman and colleagues...Moreover, their findings were logically inconsistent with other published research -- for example, they found higher rates of depression in the last month than other studies found during respondents' entire lifetimes. This suggests that the results were substantially inflated." Coleman responded that her analysis had used different methods and examined long-term psychological problems.
Regarding Coleman's 2011 publication, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
responded that four previous reviews of all available material, three published and one by the RCOG guideline development group, had found that women who have abortions did not face an increased risk of mental health problems, and suggested that Coleman's results were due to her failure to control for previously existing problems.
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
in Ohio. She has published articles in peer-reviewed journals suggesting a statistical correlation between abortion and mental health problems
Abortion and mental health
The relationship between induced abortion and mental health is an area of political controversy. The issue has been part of the political debate over abortion, dating to 1988 when U.S. President Ronald Reagan directed Surgeon General C...
, and has claimed in interviews that there is a causal relationship
Causality
Causality is the relationship between an event and a second event , where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first....
.
Some other researchers have been unable to reproduce
Reproducibility
Reproducibility is the ability of an experiment or study to be accurately reproduced, or replicated, by someone else working independently...
Coleman's results on abortion and mental health despite using the same dataset, and have described her findings as "logically inconsistent" and potentially "substantially inflated" by faulty methodology. The American Psychological Association
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
(APA) and other major medical bodies have concluded that the evidence does not support a link between abortion and mental health problems, and APA panelists charged with reviewing the evidence were similarly critical of the methodology of Coleman's studies. Coleman has responded that she is not the only qualified scientist whose research suggests that abortion may have serious mental health risks for many women.
Biography and publications
Coleman attended Southern Connecticut State UniversitySouthern Connecticut State University
Southern Connecticut State University is one of four state universities in Connecticut, and is located in the West Rock neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut...
, and has a masters degree from James Madison University
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
and a Ph.D. from West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
.
Coleman's most cited work is "Self-Efficacy and Parenting Quality: Findings and Future Applications", co-authored with Katherine Hildebrandt Karraker in Developmental Review Vol. 18, no. 1 (March 1998). She has also published a series of articles reporting a correlation between induced abortion and mental-health problems
Abortion and mental health
The relationship between induced abortion and mental health is an area of political controversy. The issue has been part of the political debate over abortion, dating to 1988 when U.S. President Ronald Reagan directed Surgeon General C...
, findings which have proven controversial.
In September 2011 Coleman published a meta-analysis
Meta-analysis
In statistics, a meta-analysis combines the results of several studies that address a set of related research hypotheses. In its simplest form, this is normally by identification of a common measure of effect size, for which a weighted average might be the output of a meta-analyses. Here the...
of 22 studies, largely her own, in the British Journal of Psychiatry
British Journal of Psychiatry
The British Journal of Psychiatry is a peer-reviewed medical journal published monthly by the Royal College of Psychiatrists containing original research, systematic reviews, commentaries on contentious articles, short reports, a comprehensive book review section, and a correspondence column...
, which reported results that "Women who had undergone an abortion experienced an 81% increased risk of mental health problems, and nearly 10% of the incidence of mental health problems was shown to be attributable to abortion."
the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is a professional association based in the UK. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is, pregnancy, childbirth, and female sexual and reproductive health...
responded that four previous reviews of all available material, three published and one by the RCOG guideline development group, had found that women who have abortions did not face an increased risk of mental health problems, and suggested that Coleman's results were due to her failure to control for previously existing problems.
Commentary on publications
The statistical methods Coleman and her co-authors use have been criticized by the American Psychological AssociationAmerican Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States. It is the world's largest association of psychologists with around 154,000 members including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. The APA...
(APA).HINOJOSA: In emails, two prominent independent scientists, on a panel that is reviewing the scientific literature for the American Psychological Association told us the studies have "inadequate or inappropriate" controls and don't adequately control "for women's mental health prior to the pregnancy and abortion." A panel convened by the APA found that the studies by Coleman, and her co-authors have "inadequate or inappropriate" controls and don't adequately control "for women's mental health prior to the pregnancy and abortion."
Coleman, Cougle, Reardon and Rue have also been criticized by other researchers in the field. Psychologist Brenda Major published an article in the same issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal
Canadian Medical Association Journal
The Canadian Medical Association Journal is a general medical journal that is published biweekly by the Canadian Medical Association . It covers research and ideas aimed at improving health for people in Canada and globally. CMAJ publishes original clinical research, analyses and reviews, news,...
that contained Coleman's "Psychiatric admissions of low-income women following abortion and childbirth"; this article, "Psychological implications of abortion—highly charged and rife with misleading research," criticized Coleman's study, saying that it did not distinguish correlation and cause, that the direction of causality could indeed be reversed, with psychiatric problems leading to a greater incidence of women having abortions, and that the study failed to control for factors such as relationship stability and education. Jillian Henderson, a professor of gynecology, and Katharine Miller wrote to the Journal of Anxiety Disorders, saying, "We believe that Cougle, et al., operate with strong political views regarding abortion, and unfortunately their biases appear to have resulted in serious methodological flaws in the analysis published in your journal.
According to a 2010 review of the group's analysis of the National Comorbidity Survey, an analysis which claimed that women who had abortions suffered from higher rates of depression and substance abuse, Coleman and her colleagues failed to control for pre-existing mental health problems and for other risk factors for mental health problems, such as sexual or physical violence. Julia Steinberg, one of the researchers, said, "We were unable to reproduce
Reproducibility
Reproducibility is the ability of an experiment or study to be accurately reproduced, or replicated, by someone else working independently...
the most basic tabulations of Coleman and colleagues...Moreover, their findings were logically inconsistent with other published research -- for example, they found higher rates of depression in the last month than other studies found during respondents' entire lifetimes. This suggests that the results were substantially inflated." Coleman responded that her analysis had used different methods and examined long-term psychological problems.
Regarding Coleman's 2011 publication, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is a professional association based in the UK. Its members, including people with and without medical degrees, work in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, that is, pregnancy, childbirth, and female sexual and reproductive health...
responded that four previous reviews of all available material, three published and one by the RCOG guideline development group, had found that women who have abortions did not face an increased risk of mental health problems, and suggested that Coleman's results were due to her failure to control for previously existing problems.