Although there is clear evidence that adolescent mothers are at elevated risk for mental health problems around the time of their child's birth, we know relatively little about the longer term impact of teen motherhood on these women's psychological well-being. Moreover, those studies that have examined the well-being of teen mothers some years after their child's birth rarely compare these women with other mothers. In this paper, we report the results of a 12-year follow-up of a sample of 250 teen mothers who were originally interviewed during their pregnancy, shortly after their delivery, seven years later, and, most recently, 13 years later. The design of this study enables us to determine whether the elevated levels of psychological distress among adolescent mothers persist over time or decline. In addition, we contrast these women with various subsamples of single mothers (who are mainly separated or divorced) and married mothers to assess the extent to which elevated psychological distress among teen mothers is a function of age, education, family structure, or socio-economic circumstances.
Learning Objectives: After this session, participants who attend will be able to: 1) better understand the association between family structure and maternal mental health; 2) describe methods for assessing psychological distress; and 3) describe how social factors influence maternal mental health.
Keywords: Mental Health, Maternal Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.