Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I suppose I mean requests for abortion and the British law. We will move on as we are stuck for time. That really is the big problem with our work. Dr. McCarthy referred to research. We all agree that good quality research is necessary for normal functioning of the law and we cannot ignore it. I draw Dr. McCarthy's attention to the work of Professor David Fergusson. I am sure we agree that he is one of the most highly published mental health professionals globally and that he would not have skin in the game when it comes to coming down on either ideological side. Professor Fergusson has published a piece in 2013 in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry in which he reviewed the four best studies from the place which Dr. McCarthy correctly said is the place to go. Its conclusion was that there is no available evidence to suggest that abortion has therapeutic effects in reducing mental health risks of unwanted or intended pregnancy. There is suggestive evidence that abortion may be associated with small to moderate increases in risks of some mental health problems, and there are particular circumstances in which that might arise, such as previous mental health history. That being the case, does Dr. McCarthy agree that it would be unconscionable that any jurisdiction providing abortion would not be in the business of checking if a woman has a prior mental health history, that it would be under a duty to advise of the potential risks if there was any evidence of mental history, and that should be mandatory practice across the board?