State anxiety and abortion

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Abstract
This study evaluated the negative emotional reactions of 113 women before and after abortion. A Swedish form of the STAI State Anxiety scale was used. The patients had consented to be randomly assigned to treatment by vacuum aspiration or a medical alternative, prostaglandin in vaginal suppositories. The medical treatment was administered in a nursing ward or self-administered by the patient at home. Psychometric and validity findings for the State Anxiety scale were reported. Post abortion state anxiety had significantly decreased. The effects of treatment assignment, of preference before abortion, and of previous abortion on state anxiety were analyzed. Only preference had an effect. Women who preferred the medical-at-home treatment were lower in anxiety on both occasions than the other groups. The significantly higher level of state anxiety when assessed by anxiety-absent items (scoring reversed) in the context of abortion was discussed.

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