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Psychological correlates of teenage motherhood

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Abstract

The social and economic consequences of adolescent motherhood are known, yet the psychological associates are largely unstudied. Clinical studies point to distressing reactions to adolescent pregnancy, and do not reflect changes in social attitudes about teenage parenting. In this study, adolescent mothers (n=62), pregnant teenagers (n=63), and non-pregnant and nonparenting (n=60) adolescents enrolled in public high schools completed measures of socioeconomic status, depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-esteem, and social supports. Findings suggest that adolescent mothers and pregnant teenagers are less distressed by their situation than was once thought. Social supports and socioeconomic status predicted psychological well-being better than parenting status. Expanded school programs for teenage mothers and renewed efforts to enhance young mothers' social and socioeconomic resources are called recommended.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Welfare, University of California, 94720, Berkeley, California

    Richard P. Barth (Assistant Professor of Social Welfare)

  2. School of Social Work, USA

    Steven Paul Schinke (Associate Professor)

  3. Social Work Research, Child Development and Mental Retardation Center, University of Washington, Seattle

    Steven Paul Schinke (Associate Professor)

  4. Department of Sociology, University of Bielefeld, West Germany

    Josie Solseng Maxwell (Doctoral candidate)

Authors
  1. Richard P. Barth
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  2. Steven Paul Schinke
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  3. Josie Solseng Maxwell
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Additional information

Funding was provided by the William T. Grant Foundation of New York.

Received his D.S.W. from the University of California, Berkeley. Major interests are adolescent parenthood, child welfare services, social and cognitive skills training, and social supports.

Received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Current research interests are primary prevention, adolescent pregnancy and parenthood, and teenaged alcohol and drug abuse.

Current interests are adolescent pregnancy and social supports.

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Barth, R.P., Schinke, S.P. & Maxwell, J.S. Psychological correlates of teenage motherhood. J Youth Adolescence 12, 471–487 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02088665

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