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According to ''The Times,'' the Royal College's decision follows in the wake of a number of studies indicating that abortion may contribute to mental health problems.  It particularly notes that the controversy over abortion and mental health in Britain "intensified earlier this year when an inquest in Cornwall heard that a talented artist hanged herself because she was overcome with grief after aborting her twins. Emma Beck, 30, left a note saying: 'Living is hell for me. I should never have had an abortion. I see now I would have been a good mum. I want to be with my babies; they need me, no one else does.'"<ref name="RCP1"/>

According to ''The Times,'' the Royal College's decision follows in the wake of a number of studies indicating that abortion may contribute to mental health problems.  It particularly notes that the controversy over abortion and mental health in Britain "intensified earlier this year when an inquest in Cornwall heard that a talented artist hanged herself because she was overcome with grief after aborting her twins. Emma Beck, 30, left a note saying: 'Living is hell for me. I should never have had an abortion. I see now I would have been a good mum. I want to be with my babies; they need me, no one else does.'"<ref name="RCP1"/>

In the year following a pregnancy outcome, women who have an abortion are three times more likley to commit suicide than women who have not been pregnant and six times more likely to have an abortion than are women who carry to term.  Specifically, A record-based study of Finnish women found that in the year following a pregnancy outcome the rate of suicide following abortion was 34.7 per 100,000 compared to 5.9 per 100,000 for women who gave birth, 18.1 per 100,000 for women who had miscarriages, and 11.4 per 100,000 for women who had not been pregnant in the prior year. <ref>Gissler M, Hemminki E, Lonnqvist J. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8973229?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Suicides after pregnancy in Finland: 1987-94: register linkage study.] BMJ 1996;313:1431-4)</ref>

In the year following a pregnancy outcome, women who have an abortion are three times more likley to commit suicide than women who have not been pregnant and six times more likely to have an abortion than are women who carry to term.  Specifically, A record-based study of Finnish women found that in the year following a pregnancy outcome the rate of suicide following abortion was 34.7 per 100,000 compared to 5.9 per 100,000 for women who gave birth, 18.1 per 100,000 for women who had miscarriages, and 11.4 per 100,000 for women who had not been pregnant in the prior year. <ref>Gissler M, Hemminki E, Lonnqvist J. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8973229?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum Suicides after pregnancy in Finland: 1987-94: register linkage study.] BMJ 1996;313:1431-4)</ref>