{"id":{"repo_id":"ttu","oai_identifier":"oai:ttu-ir.tdl.org:2346/105313"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/ttu/oai:ttu-ir.tdl.org:2346/105313","repository":{"repo_id":"ttu","name":"Texas Technology University","base_url":"https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Mental Health Support Following Abortion: Partners in the Focus","abstract":"Despite the growing awareness of post-abortion mental health, existing literature and subsequent care guidelines largely focus on the mental wellbeing of women. While this focus is undoubtedly vital, it is equally important to acknowledge that the effects of abortion extend beyond women obtaining them, that is, their partners (Coyle, 2007). Previous research has demonstrated that abortion can profoundly affect the mental health of men involved (Due et al., 2017; Nagy & Rigo, 2019), and support is needed to mitigate these effects (Koert et al., 2018; Lauzon et al., 2000; Mackenzius et al., 2012; Karali et al., 2021; Nagy & Rigo, 2019). However, the specific ways in which men are supported within the context of abortion remain unexplored. Therefore, it is unclear whether this population is receiving the mental health support that is wanted, needed, and effective following the abortion experience. Using reflexive thematic analysis, this study explored men’s experiences post-abortion, focusing on what support looked like for this population and barriers to having their supportive needs met. The findings were captured in four themes (i.e., Difficult Experience, Limited Support Received, Functioning as a Supportive Partner, Ambiguity Around Support) and fourteen subthemes. Narratives revealed that men involved in abortion navigate an emotionally complex experience shaped by cultural narratives, stigma, and social norms. Despite this, their experiences are rarely acknowledged and support is limited. In response, men adopted a supportive role, prioritizing their partner’s needs over their own. Support was often unknown, unavailable, or underused due to personal hesitations and external barriers. Study limitations and directions for future research are discussed.","abstract_html":"Despite the growing awareness of post-abortion mental health, existing literature and subsequent care guidelines largely focus on the mental wellbeing of women. While this focus is undoubtedly vital, it is equally important to acknowledge that the effects of abortion extend beyond women obtaining them, that is, their partners (Coyle, 2007). Previous research has demonstrated that abortion can profoundly affect the mental health of men involved (Due et al., 2017; Nagy & Rigo, 2019), and support is needed to mitigate these effects (Koert et al., 2018; Lauzon et al., 2000; Mackenzius et al., 2012; Karali et al., 2021; Nagy & Rigo, 2019). However, the specific ways in which men are supported within the context of abortion remain unexplored. Therefore, it is unclear whether this population is receiving the mental health support that is wanted, needed, and effective following the abortion experience. Using reflexive thematic analysis, this study explored men’s experiences post-abortion, focusing on what support looked like for this population and barriers to having their supportive needs met. The findings were captured in four themes (i.e., Difficult Experience, Limited Support Received, Functioning as a Supportive Partner, Ambiguity Around Support) and fourteen subthemes. Narratives revealed that men involved in abortion navigate an emotionally complex experience shaped by cultural narratives, stigma, and social norms. Despite this, their experiences are rarely acknowledged and support is limited. In response, men adopted a supportive role, prioritizing their partner’s needs over their own. Support was often unknown, unavailable, or underused due to personal hesitations and external barriers. Study limitations and directions for future research are discussed.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Paez, Emily Claire"],"institution":"Texas Tech University","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":"Counseling Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Garos, Sheila"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Warlick, Craig A., Pina Watson, Brandy,","Piña-Watson, Brandy","Borgogna, Nicholas C."],"year":2026,"date_issued":"2026-08","date_published":"2026-08","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:04:47Z","subjects":[],"languages":["English"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/2346/105313","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Garos, Sheila"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Warlick, Craig A., Pina Watson, Brandy,","Piña-Watson, Brandy","Borgogna, Nicholas C."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Paez, Emily Claire"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2026-03-06T15:23:21Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2026-08"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Counseling Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Texas Tech University"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["English"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/2346/105313"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Despite the growing awareness of post-abortion mental health, existing literature and subsequent care guidelines largely focus on the mental wellbeing of women. While this focus is undoubtedly vital, it is equally important to acknowledge that the effects of abortion extend beyond women obtaining them, that is, their partners (Coyle, 2007). Previous research has demonstrated that abortion can profoundly affect the mental health of men involved (Due et al., 2017; Nagy & Rigo, 2019), and support is needed to mitigate these effects (Koert et al., 2018; Lauzon et al., 2000; Mackenzius et al., 2012; Karali et al., 2021; Nagy & Rigo, 2019). However, the specific ways in which men are supported within the context of abortion remain unexplored. Therefore, it is unclear whether this population is receiving the mental health support that is wanted, needed, and effective following the abortion experience. Using reflexive thematic analysis, this study explored men’s experiences post-abortion, focusing on what support looked like for this population and barriers to having their supportive needs met. The findings were captured in four themes (i.e., Difficult Experience, Limited Support Received, Functioning as a Supportive Partner, Ambiguity Around Support) and fourteen subthemes. Narratives revealed that men involved in abortion navigate an emotionally complex experience shaped by cultural narratives, stigma, and social norms. Despite this, their experiences are rarely acknowledged and support is limited. In response, men adopted a supportive role, prioritizing their partner’s needs over their own. Support was often unknown, unavailable, or underused due to personal hesitations and external barriers. Study limitations and directions for future research are discussed."]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Mental Health Support Following Abortion: Partners in the Focus"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Garos, Sheila"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Warlick, Craig A., Pina Watson, Brandy,","Piña-Watson, Brandy","Borgogna, Nicholas C."],"dc:creator":["Paez, Emily Claire"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2026-03-06T15:23:21Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2026-08"],"dc:description.abstract":["Despite the growing awareness of post-abortion mental health, existing literature and subsequent care guidelines largely focus on the mental wellbeing of women. While this focus is undoubtedly vital, it is equally important to acknowledge that the effects of abortion extend beyond women obtaining them, that is, their partners (Coyle, 2007). Previous research has demonstrated that abortion can profoundly affect the mental health of men involved (Due et al., 2017; Nagy & Rigo, 2019), and support is needed to mitigate these effects (Koert et al., 2018; Lauzon et al., 2000; Mackenzius et al., 2012; Karali et al., 2021; Nagy & Rigo, 2019). However, the specific ways in which men are supported within the context of abortion remain unexplored. Therefore, it is unclear whether this population is receiving the mental health support that is wanted, needed, and effective following the abortion experience. Using reflexive thematic analysis, this study explored men’s experiences post-abortion, focusing on what support looked like for this population and barriers to having their supportive needs met. The findings were captured in four themes (i.e., Difficult Experience, Limited Support Received, Functioning as a Supportive Partner, Ambiguity Around Support) and fourteen subthemes. Narratives revealed that men involved in abortion navigate an emotionally complex experience shaped by cultural narratives, stigma, and social norms. Despite this, their experiences are rarely acknowledged and support is limited. In response, men adopted a supportive role, prioritizing their partner’s needs over their own. Support was often unknown, unavailable, or underused due to personal hesitations and external barriers. Study limitations and directions for future research are discussed."],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/2346/105313"],"dc:language.iso":["English"],"dc:title":["Mental Health Support Following Abortion: Partners in the Focus"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Counseling Psychology"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["Texas Tech University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:04:47Z"}