SOPRA is a collaboration between researchers at Boston College and UNC-Chapel Hill. We aim to (1) characterize the personal and professional impacts of practicing under post-Dobbs abortion bans on obstetrician-gynecologists (OB-GYNs), and (2) develop and disseminate evidence-based recommendations to support OB-GYNs’ professional wellbeing.
During Phase I (2022-2024), with funding from the Greenwall Foundation, we conducted qualitative interviews with 54 OB-GYNs practicing in 13 U.S. states with near-total abortion bans. The specific aims for Phase I were to: 1) Characterize changes to OB-GYNs’ clinical practice following state abortion bans; 2) Characterize moral distress among OB-GYNs and its relationship with state abortion bans and changes to clinical practice; 3) Identify organizational practices that can protect against (or exacerbate) moral distress and its effects among OB-GYNs; and 4) Develop and disseminate evidence-based recommendations to support OB-GYNs’ professional wellbeing in the post-Roe era. Click here for research findings from Phase I.
During Phase II (2024-2027), with funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), SOPRA will investigate determinants of mental health and work-related wellbeing of U.S. OB-GYNs, using a national survey and qualitative interviews. The specific aims for Phase II are to: 1) Evaluate effects of state abortion policy climate on OB-GYNs’ work experiences, mental health, and work-related wellbeing; 2) Describe the relationships between state abortion policies, organizational policies and practices, work conditions, and mental health and work-related wellbeing among OB-GYNs; and 3) Develop and disseminate recommendations for systems-level practices to support OB-GYNs’ mental health and work-related wellbeing, and reduce work-related stressors and strains, in a range of state abortion policy contexts.