Motivational factors of post-abortive women who seek psychological help: A Self-report Study using Rachel's Vineyard Retreats

Abstract

Individuals are motivated to seek psychological help for different reasons. They can be motivated because they feel a personal commitment to improve themselves or because they feel coerced by another person. These are examples of intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivations. Deci and Ryan (2000) have concluded that relatedness satisfaction (feeling connected to others) is a basic psychological need necessary to enhance an individual’s intrinsic motivations for seeking help which results in good mental health (ibid). In other words, the effects of a stressful life event can be buffered when one feels connected to family and friends. Higher relatedness satisfaction can be an essential determinant of intrinsic motivation and internalization of extrinsic motivation (Ryan and Deci, 2000b). Research supports the findings that a person’s desire to be integrated within a social sphere provides a main thrust for internalization (ibid.). This project examines motivational factors of women who sought psychological resolution to an abortion through Rachel Vineyard Retreats (RV). Results suggest that post-abortive women were primarily motivated by intrinsic motivations. This finding did not hold across all age groups as results showed that extrinsic motivational factors were primary motivators for ages 50-59. In addition, the findings in this study suggest that relatedness satisfaction, a determinant of intrinsic motivation, facilitated post-abortive women’s help-seeking behaviors.