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Table 1 Characteristics and personality trait T-scores of responders and dropouts at the first visit at the clinic (baseline) and at follow-up after the abortion

From: Neuroticism-related personality traits are associated with posttraumatic stress after abortion: findings from a Swedish multi-center cohort study

 

Baseline

3 month follow up

 

6 month follow up

 

Variable

All

(n = 1294)

Respondersa

(n = 668)

Dropoutsa

(n = 551)

p-value

Responders

(n = 576)b

Dropouts

(n = 98)

p-value

Age

   

<0.01

  

ns

 15–19

115 (8.9)

49 (7.3)

58 (10.5)

 

41 (7.1)

8 (8.2)

 

 20–24

385 (29.8)

184 (27.3)

185 (33.6)

 

153 (26.6)

31 (31.6)

 

 25–34

516 (39.9)

277 (41.1)

209 (37.9)

 

239 (41.5)

38 (38.8)

 

 35–52

278 (21.5)

164 (24.3)

99 (18.0)

 

143 (24.8)

21 (21.4)

 

Living alone

328 (26.2)

160 (24.3)

146 (27.8)

ns

133 (23.6)

27 (28.1)

ns

Education < 12 years

885 (68.9)

423 (63.0)

416 (76.3)

<0.001

352 (61.4)

71 (72.4)

<0.05

Occupation

   

ns

  

ns

 Working full time

514 (41.0)

270 (41.1)

212 (40.0)

 

225 (40.1)

45 (46.9)

 

 Working part time

245 (19.5)

139 (21.2)

91 (17.2)

 

128 (22.8)

11 (11.5)

 

 Student

309 (24.6)

158 (24.0)

137 (25.8)

 

133 (23.7)

25 (26.0)

 

 Other occupation

187 (14.9)

90 (13.7)

90 (17.0)

 

75 (13.4)

15 (15.6)

 

Anxiety symptoms

544 (42.4)

257 (38.4)

255 (46.8)

<0.01

217 (37.9)

40 (41.7)

ns

Depression symptoms

404 (31.5)

197 (29.4)

180 (33.0)

ns

167 (29.1)

30 (31.3)

ns

Antidepressant use

90 (7.3)

38 (5.8)

47 (9.2)

<0.05

33 (5.9)

5 (5.3)

ns

Alcohol use

1033 (80.1)

550 (81.6)

428 (78.2)

ns

466 (80.9)

84 (85.7)

ns

Tobacco use

499 (38.7)

222 (33.0)

254 (46.4)

<0.001

181 (31.5)

41 (41.8)

<0.05

Foreign born

104 (8.1)

41 (6.1)

49 (9.0)

ns

37 (6.4)

4 (4.1)

ns

No children

672 (56.0)

350 (54.8)

281 (56.1)

ns

301 (55.2)

49 (52.1)

ns

Previous abortion

448 (38.6)

208 (33.5)

211 (43.9)

<0.001

165 (31.3)

43 (46.2)

<0.01

Abortion method

   

ns

  

<0.05

 Medical

1002 (81.9)

543 (83.4)

418 (82.1)

 

471 (84.7)

72 (75.8)

 

 Surgical

221 (18.1)

108 (16.6)

91 (17.9)

 

85 (15.3)

23 (24.2)

 

Place of abortion

   

ns

  

ns

 Home

645 (52.9)

360 (55.5)

274 (54.0)

 

310 (55.9)

50 (53.2)

 

 Clinic

574 (47.1)

289 (44.5)

233 (46.0)

 

245 (44.1)

44 (46.8)

 

Counseling before abortion

464 (40.3)

280 (45.6)

181 (38.2)

<0.05

244 (46.6)

36 (40.0)

ns

Counseling after abortion

32 (2.8)

18 (2.9)

11 (2.3)

ns

17 (3.3)

1 (1.1)

ns

Neuroticism factor

       

 Somatic trait anxiety

51.8 ± 10.2

50.8 ± 9.9

52.7 ± 10.4

<0.004

50.5 ± 9.7

52.9 ± 11.0

ns

 Psychic trait anxiety

49.6 ± 10.1

49.4 ± 10.1

49.8 ± 10.1

ns

49.5 ± 10.1

48.9 ± 10.1

ns

 Stress susceptibility

52.8 ± 11.3

51.9 ± 11.2

53.7 ± 11.5

<0.004

51.8 ± 11.1

52.4 ± 11.6

ns

 Lack of assertiveness

50.1 ± 10.0

50.6 ± 10.3

49.7 ± 9.9

ns

50.8 ± 10.2

49.2 ± 10.6

ns

 Embitterment,

54.1 ± 12.2

53.1 ± 12.1

55.3 ± 12.3

<0.004

52.9 ± 12.2

54.0 ± 11.4

ns

 Mistrust

51.8 ± 12.4

50.4 ± 12.0

53.5 ± 12.8

<0.004

50.4 ± 12.1

50.5 ± 11.7

ns

Aggressiveness factor

       

 Social desirability

49.5 ± 10.4

50.1 ± 10.1

49.2 ± 10.7

ns

50.2 ± 10.2

49.9 ± 9.4

ns

 Trait irritability

52.0 ± 11.6

51.1 ± 11.6

52.5 ± 11.6

ns

50.8 ± 11.5

53.0 ± 11.9

ns

 Verbal trait aggression

52.1 ± 10.5

51.1 ± 10.3

52.9 ± 10.3

<0.004

50.9 ± 10.3

52.4 ± 10.4

ns

 Physical trait aggression

49.1 ± 11.1

47.8 ± 10.7

50.3 ± 11.3

<0.004

47.6 ± 10.7

49.3 ± 10.9

ns

Extraversion factor

       

 Impulsiveness

53.0 ± 10.2

52.4 ± 10.1

53.5 ± 10.3

ns

52.0 ± 9.9

55.1 ± 10.6

ns

 Adventure seeking

52.5 ± 9.2

51.6 ± 9.2

53.3 ± 9.2

<0.004

51.2 ± 9.1

54.0 ± 8.9

ns

 Detachment

48.1 ± 9.4

47.5 ± 9.3

48.7 ± 9.5

ns

47.6 ± 9.4

47.0 ± 8.8

ns

Neuroticism factor

310 ± 52

306 ± 52

315 ± 53

ns

306 ± 51

308 ± 54

ns

Aggressive factor

104 ± 34

100 ± 33

107 ± 35

<0.017

99 ± 33

105 ± 32

ns

Extraversion factor

57 ± 19

57 ± 19

58 ± 19

ns

56 ± 19

62 ± 19

<0.017

  1. The bivariate analysis were performed by Chi2 test. Data are displayed in numbers (n) and percentages (%). Frequencies are given in relation to available information or responses. Missing information was prevalent in 0.1% (age) -13% (counselling after abortion). The personality trait scores were analysed by Independent t-test. Data are displayed in mean (M) and Standard Deviation (±SD)
  2. a69 participants at baseline were not dropouts; they were never asked to participate at follow-up and therefore were excluded from the analyses
  3. bIncluding 6 responders who were non-responders at the 3-month follow-up
  4. *p < 0.004 for personality trait scores and p < 0.017 for personality factors, according to independent T-tests and Bonferroni correction
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