Longer-term health problems associated with teenage
motherhood
The possibility that teenage pregnancy is bad for health in the
longer term is particularly significant for the primary care team.
Given that social attitudes towards teenage pregnancy and
motherhood are generally negative, and there is empirical evidence
indicating that teenage pregnancy is most often
unplanned27 and that most teenage mothers are economically and
materially disadvantaged,28,29 it is reasonable to expect a higher
rate of post-partum depression and stress-related illness among
teenage mothers than among adult mothers. Furthermore, adolescence
is often described in psychological literature as a time of
‘crisis’, a crucial stage of lifespan development when the individual
struggles with the transition from childhood to adulthood.30
Physiological, emotional and cognitive changes occur during
adolescence and are also experienced during pregnancy. The
teenager who is also pregnant must cope with the ‘crisis’ of ado-lescence and the ‘crisis’ of pregnancy.31 Such physical and mental
upheavals, together with new responsibilities and the stress of
adjustment to parenthood,32 could affect the health of the teenage
mother.
In addition, research findings building on the published literature,
which links social ties to behaviour and health,33 suggest
that a mother’s ability to cope with the transition to motherhood
and her well-being are influenced by the extent to which she
receives various forms of support.34 There is evidence that
teenage mothers often lose contact with friends, become socially
isolated28 and are frequently unaware of professional support
systems that are available to them.35 In other words, it seems
that, as a group, teenage mothers are disadvantaged with regard
to social support that encompasses finances, welfare services and
family.36 A study investigating support and adjustment among
adolescent and older mothers reported that family support and
quality of interactions within the social network were positively
associated with maternal behaviour, life satisfaction and parental
satisfaction, and that this was true in more cases for the adolescent
than for older mothers.37
In summary, the literature on social deprivation and
health,28,29,38 social support,33-37 and psychological development30-
32 suggests that teenage mothers are more likely to have
problems, particularly stress-related health problems. Analysis of
the literature suggests that the health and well-being of teenage
mothers may be determined by the effects or interactive effects
of the following economic, social and psychological factors: