Teen Childbearing and Depression: Do Pregnancy Attitudes Matter?

Abstract

Teen Childbearing and Depression: Do PregnancyAttitudes Matter?The relationship between teen childbearing and depression has been extensively studied; however, little is known about how young women's own attitudes toward becoming pregnant shape this association. This study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to investigate whether the relationship between teen childbearing and adult depression is moderated by adolescent attitudes toward becoming pregnant. The results showed that although, on average, women who had first births between ages 16 and 19 experienced no more depressive symptoms in adulthood than women who had first births at age 20 or older, the relationship between teen childbearing and adult depression varied significantly based on adolescent pregnancy attitudes. When they had negative adolescent attitudes toward getting pregnant, teen mothers had similar levels of depression as adult mothers, but when they had positive adolescent pregnancy attitudes, teen mothers actually had fewer depressive symptoms than women with adult first births.

Do the Health Benefits of Marriage Depend on the Likelihood of Marriage?

“…'” Responses were coded as: 0 = “rarely or none of the time,” 1 = “some or a little of the time,” 2 = “occasionally or a moderate amount of the time,” and 3 = “most or all of the time.” Responses were summed to yield a score ranging from 0 to 21 points, except for cases missing data on one or more of the items in the CES‐D scale. We treated the CES‐D outcome as a continuous variable, with higher values on this scale indicating worse mental health (Mossakowski, ; Whitworth, ).…”

Teenage pregnancy and mental health beyond the postpartum period: a systematic review

“…Vicary and Corneal32 found no difference in depressive symptoms between teenage and older mothers, born in 1972, in their 20s before or after controlling for childhood and current SES, but this study was small (n=98). Whitworth33 found no difference in depressive symptoms between teenage and adult mothers, born in 1976–1980, at 28–32 years before or after controlling for demographics; childhood SES, adversity and social support; and current SES.…”

“…Overall, studies were rated as having strong (n=4),27–29 33 moderate (n=3)25 26 30 or weak (n=2)31 32 quality. With respect to selection bias, since all studies used surveys with sampling strategies designed to minimise selection bias, most samples were representative; however, one study was limited to a low-income sample 33. Several studies had response rates of <80% (n=4)24 27 30 33 or did not report response rates (n=3) 26 30 31.…”

“…The life course perspective argues that there is a ‘normative’ life course defined by role entries and exits at specific time points 34. Women who had a teenage pregnancy are hypothesised to have poorer mental health because they are aware that they deviated from normative patterns 33. Stress process theory posits that mental illness is due to exposure to stressors, including stressful life events and chronic strains 35.…”

“…Several authors have argued that any long-term impact of teenage pregnancy on mental health can be explained by ‘selection of disadvantaged women into teen childbearing’ (p. 392) 33. All studies accounted for childhood SES, and several also controlled for adversity,26 27 29 30 33 achievement26 27 29 30 and social support in childhood 27 28 33.…”