Psychiatric referrals since the Abortion Act 1967.

During the 1st year of the Abortion Act, 1967, sixty-five patients were seen for a psychiatric opinion. Of these 50% were single, 36% married and 14% separated or divorced. Referral was by the general practitioner in 60%, gynaecologist 36% and ‘other’ 4%. Mean length of psychiatric history was 18·9 months. Half had had unhappy childhoods and family relationships were frequently disturbed. Four (6%) were University students. Mean length of pregnancy was 11·0 weeks and for 87% of the single patients it was their first; for 36% of the married group it was their third. In fourteen (21%) the pregnancy resulted from a contraceptive failure. There was a previous psychiatric history in 69%. The commonest diagnosis was depression, mainly of neurotic type (52%) but 29% had no gross psychiatric disorder. Termination of pregnancy was recommended in thirty-two (49%), this included six where sterilization was also advised.