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A sharp rise in suicidal thoughts among teenage girls has been linked to the introduction of total abortion bans in several U.S. states, according to new research.
The cross-sectional study, published in JAMA Network Open, analyzed data from hundreds of thousands of high school students who participated in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey between 2017 and 2023, comparing trends in states that implemented total abortion bans with those that did not.
Researchers found that, following the introduction of abortion bans, female students in affected states were more likely to report suicidal ideation. The increase was not mirrored among male students, suggesting that the impact may be specific to girls.
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Ashley Mulvihill, MD, an assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University, told Newsweek that these findings suggest reproductive health policy may influence adolescent mental health, not just reproductive outcomes.
"Adolescence is a uniquely vulnerable developmental period, and policies that affect a young person's sense of autonomy and future opportunities may contribute to psychological distress, underscoring the need to consider mental health when evaluating the broader impact of these laws," she said.
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Wendy R. Sheldon, PhD, MPH, MSW, founder of Verge Research and a researcher and evaluator specializing in demography, health and public policy, said the findings should be interpreted with caution, noting the study was not designed to identify the specific causes behind the increase.
"There are likely multiple contributors, and I think it may be difficult for many of us who grew up with federal abortion protections to fully understand how eliminating abortion access may affect young people’s mental health," she said. "At a time when there is already so much uncertainty about what lies ahead, losing the freedom to decide what to do about an unwanted pregnancy could feel especially devastating for young women and may exacerbate fears and uncertainties about their ability to control their own futures."
The authors also observed that suicide attempts may have risen among female students in these states, although those findings were less precise.
Overall, the study highlights what researchers describe as a concerning link between restrictive reproductive policies and the mental health of adolescent girls.
To conduct the analysis, the research team examined responses from more than 330,000 students across multiple survey years. The data allowed them to track shifts in mental health indicators before and after the implementation of abortion bans, offering one of the first large-scale looks at how such policies may affect teenagers.
While the study does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship, the findings suggest that wider social and policy changes may have a measurable influence on young people’s well-being.
Importantly, the increase in suicidal ideation among girls appeared alongside relatively stable levels among boys, reinforcing the idea that the effects are not evenly distributed across genders.
The study comes in the wake of the 2022 Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that legalized abortion federally, once again allowing states to enforce or introduce stricter abortion laws. Since then, several states have enacted total bans, reshaping the legal landscape for reproductive healthcare across the country.
Mulvihill said that regardless of personal views on abortion, these findings highlight the need to actively support adolescent mental health.
"Parents, schools, pediatricians and mental health clinicians should foster strong support systems, screen for suicide risk when clinically indicated and ensure that teens experiencing emotional distress are identified early and connected with timely, evidence-based mental health care and crisis services," she said.
Sheldon added that the findings also point to the importance of speaking directly with young people about how such laws may be affecting them.
"Until we have a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms, it is difficult to offer very specific recommendations, though open, nonjudgmental conversations with adolescents about the potential psychological impacts of these laws could be beneficial," she said. "At a systems level, our findings underscore the value of accessible mental health and suicide prevention services in affected states, including screening and support in schools and primary care settings."
Update, 7/01/2026, 04:13 a.m. ET: This story was updated with comments from Wendy R. Sheldon.
Update, 7/14/2026, 06:52 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to reflect that Wendy R. Sheldon is the founder of Verge Research, rather than an adjunct instructor at Brown University.
Reference
Sheldon WR, Ouaddi R, Chen N, Lindo JM. Adolescent Suicidality After State-Level Total Abortion Bans. JAMA Netw Open. 2026;9(6):e2621632. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.21632
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Kara Dolman and Sam Wilson.
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