Media Releases

Letter to Globe and Mail

Letter written in response to Royal College of Psychiatrists' claim that abortion has no negative impact on women's mental health.

The study purporting to show that women who have abortions do not suffer a higher risk of mental illness (Globe Life, Dec. 9, 2011) flies in the face of much recent research. Just in September the British Journal of Psychiatry published a large meta-study that systematically contradicts the Kendall study referred to in your article. It found that women who have abortions are 81 per cent more likely to experience subsequent mental health problems. The greatest increases were seen in relation to suicidal behaviors and substance abuse.

Women with a history of abortion face higher rates of anxiety (34 per cent higher) and depression (37 per cent higher), alcohol use (110 per cent higher), and suicidal behavior (155 per cent higher).

Does Michael Ignatieff really care about reducing maternal and infant mortality across the world?

by the deVeber Institute Director of Research, Ian Gentles, PhD.

Excerpt:  "So countries that have seriously limited access to abortion seem to have done a good job at promoting good maternal and infant health. By contrast, where abortion has been made available on demand, there have been all sorts of harmful consequences."

See attachment for full Media Release.

Caring for the Disabled at the Time of Death

Joys, Challenges, Sorrows at End of Life

Three speakers emphasized to a full house both the joys and sorrows that accompany the caregiver as they journey with the dying. The event was “Compassionate End-of-Life Care for Adults with Developmental Disabilities”, an evening co-sponsored by the deVeber Institute and L'Arche Toronto, and held at the L'Arche Gathering Place in Toronto on January 29. 

Susan Morgan, a chaplain, spoke about her personal experiences in ministering to the dying, and expressed her concern about when people “retreat” from those who are dying. She insisted on the importance of “presence”, reminding her listeners that their role is not only to be doing when attending to a dying person, but also just to be with them, sometimes even in silence.

Prenatal Genetic Testing - Are We Ready?

Greater Support Needed for Families Facing a Prenatal Genetic Diagnosis

Toronto, Canada (October 31, 2008) - A new non-invasive blood test for Down Syndrome, as described this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and calls from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada to increase genetic screening before birth demand public and professional scrutiny for the practice of prenatal diagnosis.
Is Canada ready for these new tests?

New Evidence in Prenatal Development Ignored

Pain Experience of a Fetus Might Be Even Worse Than Adult Pain

Toronto, Canada (October 2, 2008) – The politics of abortion have distorted the science of fetal pain, causing a potential conflict with modern pediatric medicine, according to neurologist and University of Toronto lecturer Dr. Paul Ranalli last night. He was speaking to a gathering of 100 people for the deVeber Institute's Annual General Meeting at St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto.