Abstract
An estimated 32% to 60% of adolescent mothers experience postpartum depression. Young women who deal with the simultaneous developmental tasks of adolescence and parenting are vulnerable to depression, which affects the welfare of both the mother and child. The primary objective of this qualitative study was to appreciate the unique experiences of adolescent mothers. Seventeen postpartum adolescents participated in two focus groups and completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). The qualitative data analysis identified 19 major conceptual themes in the data. The four most frequently discussed themes that emerged were: 1) social support, 2) differences between teen and adult mothers, 3) parenting ability, and 4) increased maturity. Six of the 17 participants (35.3%) had CES-D scores of 16 or above, which is indicative of a probable major depression. These findings highlight areas that could inform screening assessments, treatment, and prevention programs for adolescent mothers.
Highlights
Young women under 18 years of age who deal with parenting an infant in addition to the developmental tasks of adolescence are often poorly prepared, have few resources, and are stressed [1]
Seventeen postpartum adolescents participated in two focus groups and completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D)
To better understand how social support was discussed in the focus groups, the “Social Support” code was subdivided into 6 categories: 1) general discussion indicated nonspecific mention of social support (13.9%); 2) statements about support from family/friends (5.7%), 3) lack of support from people in their lives (5.5%); 4) levels of involvement from the child’s father (5.3%), 5) reinforcement/encouragement, which indicated positive experiences of social support (2.8%); 6) support from public sources, such as school, public assistance, and daycare (2.2%)
Summary
Young women under 18 years of age who deal with parenting an infant in addition to the developmental tasks of adolescence are often poorly prepared, have few resources, and are stressed [1]. Guardians frequently provide childcare so adolescent mothers can continue their education This situation reinforces the young woman’s dependent role while she is simultaneously seeking independence from her nuclear family. Adolescent mothers are at risk for emotional and behavioral problems, including depression and parenting difficulties. One study found that more than 50% of adolescent mothers reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms during the first year postpartum [11]. Feeling depressed as a young mother included several unique experiences: feeling changed, different, and frightened by with the sudden realization of motherhood; torn between the responsibilities of adolescence and motherhood; feeling abandoned and rejected by partners and peers; questioning and not understanding what was happening to them. Young women scored lower on care-taking behaviors than adults and experienced less gratification in the maternal role at 8 and 12 months postpartum. We conducted a focus group study of adolescent mothers to better appreciate the experiences of young motherhood
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