Changes

At the same time, the APA established the Task Force on Psychology, Family Planning and Population Policy to "(a) to prepare "a review of the current state of psychological research related to family planning and population policy and (b) to make recommendations for encouraging greater research and professional service participation by psychologists in this emerging area of social concern."  The Task Force was made up of APA members with an interest in family planning and population control and was instrumental in the establishing in 1974 the APA Division 34 on Population and Environmental Psychology (APA Division 34)<ref name=hdavid/> The members of this division subsequently contributed information to Surgeon General Koop and published an important review of the literature on abortion and mental health in 1990 (discussed below).  Two members of the original task force, Brenda Major and Nancy Russo, were also on the second task force which published the new position paper on abortion in 2008, with Brenda Major acting as the chair of that task force.

At the same time, the APA established the Task Force on Psychology, Family Planning and Population Policy to "(a) to prepare "a review of the current state of psychological research related to family planning and population policy and (b) to make recommendations for encouraging greater research and professional service participation by psychologists in this emerging area of social concern."  The Task Force was made up of APA members with an interest in family planning and population control and was instrumental in the establishing in 1974 the APA Division 34 on Population and Environmental Psychology (APA Division 34)<ref name=hdavid/> The members of this division subsequently contributed information to Surgeon General Koop and published an important review of the literature on abortion and mental health in 1990 (discussed below).  Two members of the original task force, Brenda Major and Nancy Russo, were also on the second task force which published the new position paper on abortion in 2008, with Brenda Major acting as the chair of that task force.

Immediately after the 2008 Task Force Report was published, evidence came to light that the chair of the Task Force, Brenda Major, has been violating the APA's own ethics rules on data sharing by refusing to share her own data on mental health effects associated with abortion, gathered under a federal grant, with other researchers.<ref name=ThrockMajor>[http://wthrockmorton.com/2008/08/14/allegations-cloud-apa-mental-health-and-abortion-report/ Allegations cloud APA Mental Health and Abortion report] by Warren Throckmorton </ref>.<ref name=ertelt1>  Steven Ertelt <http://www.lifenews.com/nat4135.html Researcher: APA Chair Withholding Info on Abortion's Mental Health Risks> LifeNews.com  August 15, 2008</ref> <ref><http://www.dakotavoice.com/2008/08/following-truth-where-ever-it-leads.html></ref>

Immediately after the 2008 Task Force Report was published, evidence came to light that the chair of the Task Force, Brenda Major, has been violating the APA's own ethics rules on data sharing by refusing to share her own data on mental health effects associated with abortion, gathered under a federal grant, with other researchers.<ref name=ThrockMajor>[http://wthrockmorton.com/2008/08/14/allegations-cloud-apa-mental-health-and-abortion-report/ Allegations cloud APA Mental Health and Abortion report] by Warren Throckmorton </ref>.<ref name=ertelt1>  Steven Ertelt <http://www.lifenews.com/nat4135.html Researcher: APA Chair Withholding Info on Abortion's Mental Health Risks> LifeNews.com  August 15, 2008</ref> <ref><http://www.dakotavoice.com/2008/08/following-truth-where-ever-it-leads.html></ref> Brenda Major is a member of the APA "Society for the Psychology of Women (Division 35)<ref name=Bvitae>http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/~major/lab/vita.html  Curriculum Vitae Brenda Major, Ph.D.]</ref>