The Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision is causing outsized harm to women of color. According to the Guttmacher Institute, over 60% of those seeking abortions are people of color, and about half live below the federal poverty line. Many of these women reside in Southern states which now have some of the country’s most restrictive abortion laws.
The landmark Turnaway Study, which followed over 1,000 women seeking abortions across 21 states, found that compared to women who obtained an abortion, those denied one reported higher stress and anxiety, lower self-esteem, and reduced life satisfaction. Experts warn that combined with the harm caused by racism and structural inequalities, the mental health impacts on women of color will be severe.
“Women of color face more structural barriers to care to begin with, and those inequities are exacerbated when these policies further diminish their power and bodily autonomy,” said Wizdom Powell, PhD, chief social impact and diversity officer at Headspace Health. “You end up having a domino effect of negative impact on women’s overall health and well-being.”
Psychologists are urging the mental health community to take an active role, not just in research and practice, but in connecting people with support services and advocating for equitable legislation. “It’s really important that we don’t sit on the sidelines with so much subject matter expertise, while folks with less expertise are making critical decisions about the public’s health,” said Powell.
See “Abortion bans cause outsized harm for people of color” by Zara Abramson on the American Psychological Association website (June 1, 2023)
