Objective: 1) To describe the severity of stress and coping with stress after criminal abortion in adolescents 2) To identity the relationships between age, education, occupation, income, hospital cost, gravidity, parity, number of previous abortions, abortion technigues, complication of abortion and gestational age at abortion with the severity of stress and coping with stress.
Material and Methods: Eighty adolescents who had undergone criminal abortion and were admitted in Songklanagarind or Hatyai Hospitals from April 1, 2002 to March 31, 2003 were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Stress levels were scored on a scale from 1-5, 1-4.
Results: The mean score of stress level was high in the topics of parents' feeling when they knew their child was pregnant, fear of curettage and disclosure of her story (X = 4.33, 4.05 and 3.76, respectively). Being interviewed by a medical team, being insulted by others and being absent from job or school caused a medium level of stress (X = 3.63, 3.63 and 3.58, respectively). The common methods used to cope with stress were discussion with her boyfriend, parents and friends, keeping herself busy by reading books, watching television or listening to the radio, talking with her friends and promising not to do an abortion again (X = 3.33, 3.23, 3.20 and 3.16, respectively). The factors related to stress were abortion, gravidity and parity. The factors related to coping with stress were abortion, gestational age at abortion, age, education, occupation and income.
Conclusion: Understanding of stress and coping with stress in adolescents undergoing criminal abortion could guide the health personnel in providing appropriate counselling and psychosocial support.