The Family Planning Attitudes, Practices, and Motivations of Mental Patients
HENRY U. GRUNEBAUM M.D.1,
VIRGINIA D. ABERNETHY PH.D.2,
E. SAMUEL ROFMAN M.D., , and
JUSTIN L. WEISS PH.D.3
1 Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 74 Fenwood Rd., Boston, Mass. 02115 and Consulting Psychiatrist, Cambridge Hospital
2 Research Fellow in Anthropology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School
3 Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and Chief Clinical Psychologist at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center
The family planning knowledge, practices, and attitudes of 21 hospitalized women were investigated. The sample was characterized by frequency of divorce, separation, marital disharmony, and unwanted pregnancies. Twenty-six unwanted pregnancies were reported by 13 women; eight felt the pregnancy had contributed to their emotional breakdown. Contraceptive practice was ineffective due to motivational patterns of excessive dependency needs, passive-aggressive expression of ambivalence toward men, and excessive use of denial.
