Madam, - Louise Caffrey of Choice Ireland (July 12th) maintains that the "current consensus on the psychological effects of abortion", set out in a 2005 statement by the American Psychological Association, is that there is "no causal link between clinically relevant distress in women and abortion".
The contrary New Zealand research cited by her and by Dr Berry Kiely - conducted by a researcher who was admittedly pro-choice - pointed out that the American Psychological Association statement "was based on a relatively small number of studies which had one or more of the following limitations: (a) absence of comprehensive assessment of mental disorders; (b) lack of comparison groups; and (c) limited statistical controls. Furthermore, the statement appears to disregard the findings of a number of studies that had claimed to show negative effects for abortion (Cougle et al., 2003; Gissler et al., 1996; Reardon & Cougle, 2002)." - Yours, etc,
KIERON WOOD, Grange Wood, Dublin 16.