Introduction: Abortion is a termination of pregnancy that ends with the death of the fetus. Although this may be planned or sudden, the talk about the death of the child is unpleasant. The majority of women are severely attached during pregnancy to the child, therefore abortion can affect their mental health as well as the health of their partner and the whole family. The approach to the grieving person must be correct, we must be aware that every individual is different, and also mourns in his own way. Nurses have an important role in providing psycho-physical needs after abortion. Purpose: The purpose of the diploma work is to define the mental health of women after an abortion or a stillborn child and to explore the role of nursing care in the process of treatment. Methods of work: A descriptive working method was used in the diploma work with an overview of professional and scientific literature on the mental health of women after the abortion. The literature search was carried out on databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Google Scholar, COBISS and COBIB.SI), browser (PubMed) via remote access from the University Library of Ljubljana. Only articles with freely accessible full text were used, which are original or transparent, scientific or professional. Articles were searched in English and Slovenian language. The literature review was derived from articles classified in the first to fifth hierarchy levels, and articles that include the adult population. Results: Abortion is still a common occurrence, despite the fact that the number of abortions in the world is declining. It also affects the mental health of women and causes traumatic disorders. After and during the process, the role of health professionals, their support and comfort are crucial. In some countries, abortion is still not legal, so it is done by women in secret, in inadequate conditions, which is additionally caused by a deterioration in health status. Discussion and conclusion: Women who have low economic status or are single mothers, often do not dare to perform abortion because of fear or stigmatization. In Slovenia, the abortion has been legal since 1952. In order to give women the least painful and traumatic experience of abortion, health professionals must educate themselves and “forget” their own beliefs.
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