I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2805
To provide for research on, and services for individuals with, post-abortion
depression and psychosis.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 2, 2001
Mr. PITTS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To provide for research on, and services for individuals with,
post-abortion depression and psychosis.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Post-Abortion Depres-
sion Research and Care Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds as follows:
(1) About 3,000,000 women per year in the
United States have an unplanned or unwanted preg-
nancy, and approximately 1,186,000 of these preg-
nancies end in elective abortion.
(2) Abortion can have severe and long-term ef-
fects on the mental and emotional well-being of
women. Women often experience sadness and guilt
following abortions with no one to console them.
They may have difficulty in bonding with new ba-
bies, become overprotective parents or develop prob-
lems in their relationship with their spouses. Prob-
lems such as eating disorders, depression and suicide
attempts have also been traced to past abortions.
(3) The symptoms of post-abortion depression
include bouts of crying, guilt, intense grief or sad-
ness, emotional numbness, eating disorders, drug
and alcohol abuse, suicidal urges, anxiety and panic
attacks, anger/rage, sexual problems or promiscuity,
lowered self esteem, nightmares and sleep disturb-
ance, flashbacks, and difficulty with relationships.
(4) Women who aborted a first pregnancy are
four times more likely to report substance abuse
compared to those who suffered a natural loss of
their first pregnancy, and they are five times more
likely to report subsequent substance abuse than
women who carried to term.
(5) Greater thought suppression is associated
with experiencing more intrusive thoughts of the
abortion. Both suppression and intrusive thoughts,
in turn, are positively related to increases in psycho-
logical distress over time.
(6) Women who experience decision-making dif-
ficulties and may lack social support may experience
more negative emotional consequences to induced
abortion.
(7) Post-abortion depression often relates to the
lack of understanding in society and the medical
community of the complexity of post-abortion de-
pression, and economic pressures placed on hospitals
and providers are contributing factors.
(8) Social pressure to have an abortion can be
directly related to higher levels of immediate regret
and more mental undoing over subsequent years.
(9) Post-abortion depression is a treatable dis-
order if promptly diagnosed by a trained provider
and attended to with a personalized regimen of care
including social support, therapy, medication, and
when necessary hospitalization.
(10) While there have been many studies re-
garding the emotional aftermath of abortion, very
little research has been sponsored by the National
Institutes of Health.
TITLE I—RESEARCH ON POST-
ABORTION DEPRESSION AND
PSYCHOSIS
SEC. 101. EXPANSION AND INTENSIFICATION OF ACTIVI-
TIES OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL
HEALTH.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and
Human Services, acting through the Director of NIH and
the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health
(in this section referred to as the ‘‘Institute’’), shall ex-
pand and intensify research and related activities of the
Institute with respect to post-abortion depression and
post-abortion psychosis (in this section referred to as
‘‘post-abortion conditions’’).
(b) COORDINATION WITH OTHER INSTITUTES.—The
Director of the Institute shall coordinate the activities of
the Director under subsection (a) with similar activities
conducted by the other national research institutes and
agencies of the National Institutes of Health to the extent
that such Institutes and agencies have responsibilities that
are related to post-abortion conditions.
(c) PROGRAMS FOR POST-ABORTION CONDITIONS.—
In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the Insti-
tute shall conduct or support research to expand the un-
derstanding of the causes of, and to find a cure for, post-
abortion conditions. Activities under such subsection shall
include conducting and supporting the following:
(1) Basic research concerning the etiology and
causes of the conditions.
(2) Epidemiological studies to address the fre-
quency and natural history of the conditions and the
differences among racial and ethnic groups with re-
spect to the conditions.
(3) The development of improved diagnostic
techniques.
(4) Clinical research for the development and
evaluation of new treatments, including new biologi-
cal agents.
(5) Information and education programs for
health care professionals and the public.
(d) LONGITUDINAL STUDY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Institute
shall conduct a national longitudinal study to deter-
mine the incidence and prevalence of cases of post-
abortion conditions, and the symptoms, severity, and
duration of such cases, toward the goal of more fully
identifying the characteristics of such cases and de-
veloping diagnostic techniques.
(2) REPORT.—Beginning not later than 3 years
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and peri-
odically thereafter for the duration of the study
under paragraph (1), the Director of the Institute
shall prepare and submit to the Congress reports on
the findings of the study.
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the
purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized
to be appropriated $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years
2002 through 2006.
TITLE II—DELIVERY OF SERV-
ICES REGARDING POST-ABOR-
TION DEPRESSION AND PSY-
CHOSIS
SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM OF GRANTS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and
Human Services (in this title referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall in accordance with this title make grants
to provide for projects for the establishment, operation,
and coordination of effective and cost-efficient systems for
the delivery of essential services to individuals with post-
abortion depression or post-abortion psychosis (referred to
in this section as a ‘‘post-abortion condition) and their
families.