Adolescent pregnancy is an important social and public health problem in Thailand accounting for 13.0% of all pregnancies annually. In Thailand, premarital relations are forbidden. Pregnancy out of marriage is considered dishonorable and a serious act of disobedience, bringing rejection by peers and great shame upon the family. As a result, adolescents are expelled from school, resulting in lifelong inadequate education. Research in countries other than Thailand reveals that adolescent pregnancy is associated with postpartum depression. Self-esteem, stressful life events, and social support are also associated with postpartum depression but primarily in adult mothers in western countries.
This cross-sectional, prospective, correlational study examined the: 1) relationships between self-esteem and stressful life events with postpartum depression, 2) moderating effect of social support on postpartum depression, and 3) effects of maternal characteristics (age, education, parity, marital status, family income, employment status, and unintended pregnancy) on postpartum depression. The convenience sample consisted of 119 adolescent mothers, ages 14 to 19, from northern Thailand. Participants completed self-report questionnaires of self-esteem (Rosenberg, 1965), stressful life events (Norbeck, 1984), social support (MSPSS, Zimet, et al, 1988), postpartum depression (CES-D, Radloff, 1977), at six weeks postpartum.
Fifty five percent of adolescents had a CES-D score of 16 or greater indicating a high level of depressive symptoms, with 21% scoring 23 or greater indicating the need for psychiatric referral. Self-esteem, stressful life events, social support, and maternal characteristics explained 43.4% (adjusted) of the variance in overall postpartum depression. When controlling for maternal characteristics, only self-esteem and negative stressful life events were significant predictors of postpartum depression (beta=-.368, p < .000 and beta=.451, p < .000, respectively). There is a need to identify adolescent mothers who have low self-esteem and experience high negative stressful life events because they are at increased risk for postpartum depression.
Session #1214 - Mental Health: Children & Adolescents
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)