1. Motivational Factors & Orientations of Post-Abortive Women Who Seek Psychological Help: A Self-Report Study using Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats Christina Lynch, M.S., Psy.D. Candidate Catholic Social Services –Lincoln, NE
INTRODUCTION
Research studies (Barnard, 1990; Major, 2000) found post-abortion women suffer from diagnosable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Study outcomes varied from a minimum of 19% of post abortive women admitting 20-50% of symptoms of PTSD to 1.0% of post abortive women admitting 100% symptoms of PTSD in a two year follow study.
Twenty percent of post-abortive women reported depressive symptoms immediately following the abortion procedure, compared to 70% of women who reported depressive symptoms immediately following a live birth delivery (plannedparenthood.org). Ten percent of the 20% of post-abortive women who reported depressive symptoms immediately following their abortion procedure, experienced lingering depression; the same percent as women who gave birth. The ten percent of women, who gave birth, freely reported their psychological symptoms and sought help without social disapproval; however, the 10% of post-abortive women did not seek help (Major, 1999).
Avoidance factors, like social disapproval, predict negative attitudes towards counseling, as well as decreased intentions to seek help (Vogel & Wester, 2003).
Researchers have examined negative attitudes towards help seeking behaviors which might be predictive of the individuals motivational orientation (Ryan & Deci 2000).
The purpose of this study is to examine motivational factors and orientations of post-abortive women who seek psychological help through Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats.
PARTICIPANTS
Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat Participants
Data were collected in the Spring of 2004 from Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat participants across the United States.
168 (146 female and 22 male) retreatants participated in the study.
The participants attended 25 different Rachel’s Vineyard weekend retreats from 16 states. See Table 1.
Ages ranged from years old for all retreat participants. Female participants ranged in age from years old (Median Age=42.5; Mean Age =42.2).
Racial distribution for the 168 retreatants who participated was: 78.6% Caucasian, 6.5% Hispanic, 4.8% European, 3.6% African-American, 3.6% Asian, 3.0% Other.
Educational distribution for the 168 retreatants who participated was: 31% Some Graduate education, 27.5% Some College education, 24% College Graduate, 13.2% High School Graduate, 4.2% Less than 12 years education.
Number of abortions reported ranged from a minimum of 1 abortion per person to 7 abortions per person. Female participants averaged 1.59 abortions per person.
Average age for female participants at the time of their first abortion was 21.3 years.
Average number of years for female participants since first abortion was years.
Abortion beliefs changed among female retreat participants from time of their first abortion until they attended the Rachel’s Vineyard Weekend Retreat. See Table 2.
Table 1
RESULTS
External motivational factors for Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat participants are presented in Figure 1.
A pie chart was created to identify the 14 external motivating factors (question #17) that led participants to attend the retreat weekend where the survey was conducted. The external motivational factors were rated in rank order according to importance of motivating the participant to attend the retreat weekend. For the purpose of this study the 146 female participants rated their responses as follows:
14.7% indicated “Crisis in my life”; 10.7% “a friend”; 8.8% “ad in Church Bulletin”; 7.5% for “Anniversary of the abortion” and “Birth of a child”; 6.8% “spouse”; 6.5% for “death of a loved one”; and “fertility problems”; 6.3% “boyfriend”; 5.6% “miscarriage”; 5.5% “problem pregnancy”; 5.2% “death of a pet”; 5.1% “birth of a grandchild”; and 3.3% “counselor.”
2) Intrinsic/Extrinsic motivational factors for Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat participants are presented in Figure 2.
A bar graph was created to compare intrinsic/extrinsic motivational factors that led participants to attend the retreat weekend.
Intrinsic motivational factors were summarized from a continuum of motivational orientations analyzed in the three categories measured in Figure 3. Intrinsic motivational factors measured 63.7%.
Extrinsic motivational factors were summarized from a continuum of motivational orientations analyzed in the three categories measured in Figure 4. Extrinsic motivational factors measured 36.3%.
Intrinsic motivational factors and orientations for female Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat participants are presented in Figure 3.
A bar graph was created to measure intrinsic motivational factors and orientations (question #16) of female participants who attended the retreat weekend.
Intrinsic motivations were analyzed into three categories: Emotional, 34.3%; Spiritual, 21.7%; and Psychological, 7.7%.
Extrinsic motivational factors and Orientations for female Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat participants are presented in Figure 4.
A bar graph was created to measure extrinsic motivational factors and orientations (question #16) of female participants who attended the retreat weekend.
Extrinsic motivations were analyzed into three categories: People or Powerful Others, 22.8%; Written Information, 11.1% and Media, 2.4%.
PROCEDURES
Data was collected during a five month period from January 2004 through May 2004.
All Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat participants were invited to voluntarily participate in the study.
Consent forms were requested from each retreat participant. Of the 168 retreat participants, 90% (151) consent forms were returned. The 10% (17) of questionnaires voluntarily returned without consent forms were considered valid consent.
Retreat participants were provided a packet of materials with instructions; cover letter; informed consent form; and one instrument to complete at the beginning of the three day Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat weekend.
Retreat participants were instructed to place the completed confidential questionnaire into an envelope that they were instructed to seal.
Retreat participants were then instructed to place the sealed envelope into a stamped, addressed priority envelope to be mailed at the end of the retreat weekend.
Rachel’s Vineyard staff were instructed to collect the signed consent forms separately from the questionnaires. They were then instructed to place them into a priority envelope to be mailed at the end of the retreat weekend.
INSTRUMENTS
THE RACHELS VINEYARD RETREAT SURVEY – Retreat Participant Version (Lynch, 2003)
The Rachel’s Vineyard Survey – Retreat Participant Version is a confidential 22 question self-report survey that queries retreat participants regarding their motivational factors for seeking help through Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats. Questions addressed motivational factors which can be categorized into extrinsic (obtain external rewards, e.g., please partner; and avoid external consequences or punishments) (Ryan & Deci, 2000a); or intrinsic (obtain internal rewards, e.g., forgiveness; and avoid punishments e.g., guilt, fear, anxiety) (Ryan & Deci, 2000a) motivational factors. Question #17 is a 14-item scale that measures external motivational factors for attending the Rachel’s Vineyard weekend retreat. Participants were asked to read each item and rate how much they believe each item to be true on a five point scale: 1=“Not at all” to 5=“Totally True.” Higher total scores are considered to indicate the triggering external motivations that influenced the participant to seek psychological help by attending the Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat weekend. Question #16 is an open-ended measure of intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors and orientations. This question asks: What led you to decide to attend Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat this weekend? In order to measure the continuum of motivational orientations, the responses to this question are analyzed in three categories for each intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Intrinsic motivations are divided into emotional, spiritual, and psychological factors. Extrinsic motivations are divided into people, written information, and media factors.
Figure 1.
External Motivational Factors of female participants to attend Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat Weekend.
Figure 2.
Intrinsic/Extrinsic Motivational Factors of female participants to
attend RV Retreat Weekend
Figure 3.
Intrinsic Motivational factors and Orientations of female participants to
attend Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat Weekend
DISCUSSION
Participants appear to be significantly motivated by intrinsic factors in making their decision to seek psychological help through Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats. This could be due to at least three factors:
a) Length of time that participants have waited to seek psychological help through Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats is significant; years since their first abortion. This could be due to their recent discovery of Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat weekends because of their limited availability.
b) Length of time participants waited to seek help might also be predicted by their reported isolation since the time of their first abortion. Isolation predictors can be measured by the number of people with whom participants have confided their abortion. (The Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat Survey indicated a majority (76%) of female participants shared their abortion with few people, and some participants waited years before disclosure.
c) Avoidance factors like social disapproval predict negative attitudes towards counseling and decreased motivation to seek help. Rachel’s Vineyard Retreats are confidential therefore the participant is ensured of anonymity.
d) Age at time of first abortion is significant. The average age for the 146 female participants at the time of their first abortion is 21.3 years old. According to research, this could be important in predicting future psychological distress. This finding can help counselors, pastors, and other health-care givers provide preventive education concerning the psychological symptoms of abortion. It can also make health-care givers more aware of the need to assess and address post-abortion symptoms with all women in psychological distress, independent of their age.
Limitations of this study include: a) as a descriptive study, there is no control group for comparison; b) motivational factors are based on self-report only; and c) inability to conduct follow-up studies with Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat participants to assess motivational factors for subsequent help seeking behaviors following the retreat.
Much more research is needed in the area of Post-abortion stress.
Table 2
Retreat Participant’s past and current abortion beliefs
Figure 4.
Extrinsic Motivational factors and Orientations of female participants to attended Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat Weekend.
Status
Time of abortion
Time of RV retreat
Pro-life
11.3% (n=16)
57.2% (n=83)
Pro-life w/some reservations
9.2% (n=13)
15.2% (n=22)
Pro-choice w/some reservations
Pro-choice
10.7% (n=15)
29.1% (n=41)
13.1% (n=19)
6.9% (n=10)
Uncertain
Other
24.8% (n=35)
14.9% (n=21)
6.2% (n=9)
1.4% (n=2)
Orange States represent Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat locations which participated in this study
Poster session presented at the spring meeting of Society of Catholic Social Scientist (SCSS), Lincoln, Nebraska, May 20-21, 2005.