A new study links abortion and substance abuse. That’s the conclusion of a study performed by researchers at the University of Manitoba that found that women who have had an abortion are almost four times as likely to have substance abuse issues. The study also found a link between abortion and mental illness.

Using data from the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Drug Abuse, researchers found that abortion was associated with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse and suicide attempts.

“This was the first study to examine associations between abortion and several mental disorders,” says Dr. Jitender Sareen, psychiatry.

He adds: “We found a higher likelihood of lifetime mood disorder in women who had experienced an abortion compared with those who had never had an abortion. A woman with a mood disorder might be more inclined to have an abortion, while conversely, an unplanned pregnancy and abortion could precipitate a mood disorder.”

Researchers acknowledge that as of yet they’re unsure if abortion leads to mental illness and substance abuse or if women who’ve suffered from mental illness and substance abuse are simply more likely to obtain an abortion. But they’ve urged mental health professionals to screen for the linkage.

The problem facing such research is that the health care industry seems dead set against promulgating anything that could be seen as damaging to abortion businesses. Big Abortion is dead set against ultrasounds, never mind studies linking substance abuse and mood disorders with abortion.