Moms Growing Together (MGT): Piloting a mental health intervention for teen mothers

Background: Psychological distress and childhood adversities are common among teen mothers. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and trauma often coexist, and are known to compromise maternal-child outcomes. This pilot study tests a novel group therapy intervention to reduce teen mothers’ distress. Drawing on the neurobiology of toxic stress, MGT combines action methods and peer support in 10 weekly sessions. The larger study tests the hypothesis that the treatment group (MGT) yields more positive scores on key outcomes than usual care.  A secondary aim is to examine mothers’ satisfaction with MGT.

Methods:This mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study assigned mothers to the intervention (MGT) or usual care group. Outcome measures of psychological distress were completed at baseline, mid- and end-points, and 2 mos post-intervention. Quantitative data are used to examine trends in symptoms over time. This report describes qualitative findings from 8 audio-taped focus groups with teen participants and 20 debriefing interviews with therapists immediately following group sessions.

Results: Teen mothers were very satisfied with MGT. Three findings are presented: 1). MGT activities engaged the teens and facilitated self-disclosure; 2). MGT decreased mothers’ social isolation and strengthened their relationships; and 3). MGT activities and sessions were carefully crafted by the therapists to facilitate mothers’ self-disclosure and limit their vulnerability.

Conclusion: The public health implications of toxic stress are recognized but often neglected in teen mothers, with home visiting programs showing limited effectiveness in improving maternal mental health. Developing teen friendly programs that are acceptable, accessible, and effective is a high priority.