Abstract
Objectives: To describe the prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) during pregnancy in
teenage mothers and to assess its association with socio-demographic characteristics, obstetric
history and psychosocial variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample
of pregnant teenagers enrolled in the national public health system in the urban area of Pelotas,
southern Brazil. MDD was assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, the
Abuse Assessment Screen was used to identify physical abuse within the last 12 months and during
pregnancy, and social support was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Survey Social Support
Scale. Results: Forty-three (4.94%) potential subjects refused to participate, resulting in 828
total participants. The prevalence of MDD was 17.8%, 9.2% reported they had been subjected
to violence within the last 12 months, while 5.8% had suffered violence during pregnancy, and
the mean (SD) overall social support score was 87.40 (11.75). After adjustment, we found the
highest incidence of MDD in adolescents with less than 8 years of education, followed by those
with previous episodes of MDD and those with lower overall social support. Conclusions: MDD is
a relatively common condition in pregnant teenagers and appears to be more prevalent in young
mothers who are both socioeconomically and psychosocially underprivileged.
© 2013 Associação Brasileira de Psiquiatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda.