Stress and resilience among pregnant teenagers in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Exploring the Physical and Mental Health Challenges of Teenage Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study in the Tamale Metropolis, Ghana

Objective

Teenage pregnancy poses significant public health challenges globally, particularly affecting the physical and mental well-being of adolescent girls. Despite a global decline in teenage birth rates, regions like sub-Saharan Africa continue to experience high prevalence. In Ghana's Tamale metropolis, teenage pregnancy rates have shown a concerning rise, underscoring the need for an in-depth exploration of its multifaceted impacts. This study aims to explore the physical and mental health effects of teenage pregnancy in the Tamale metropolis, capturing their personal experiences and coping mechanisms.

Materials and methods

Employing a qualitative exploratory descriptive design, the study conducted a focus group discussion with 10 first-time teenage mothers aged 13-19 whose babies were less than 1 month. Participants were purposively sampled from antenatal records across five Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds. Discussions, guided by the socioecological model, were transcribed, translated, and thematically analyzed using NVivo software.

Results

Participants reported numerous physical health challenges, including severe nausea, vomiting, exhaustion, musculoskeletal pain, and infections like candidiasis. Mental health struggles encompass feelings of sadness, irritability, anxiety, and societal-induced stress. Coping strategies varied, with reliance on trusted individuals, avoidance of social situations, support from healthcare professionals, and family backing emerging as predominant themes.

Conclusion

This study revealed profound physical and mental health challenges compounded by societal stigma and limited resources. Strengthening social support networks, reducing stigma, and promoting patient-centered care are imperative. Targeted interventions are also essential to enhance health outcomes for these young mothers and their children.

Resilience and mental health among perinatal women: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

This review aimed to assess the current evidence on the relationship between resilience and mental health employed in response to the impacts of mental health.

METHOD

This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA). The protocol of this review was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42023470966). Three authors searched peer-reviewed articles using several electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, Psych Info, EMBASE, and Web of Science, from September to October 2023 and included all the studies from any time until November 1, 2023. The review included all eligible quantitative observational and qualitative studies, irrespective of geographical boundaries.

RESULT

Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders were found to be the most common, but not the only, mental health disorders during the perinatal period, and higher maternal resilience during perinatal periods was found to reduce mental health disorders. It was also found that pregnant women were more resilient to mental health disorders than postpartum women. Tolerance of uncertainty and a positive cognitive appraisal, women's self-behavior and family functioning, and protective psychosocial resources such as dispositional optimism, parental sense of mastery, self-esteem, gratitude, and forgiveness were found to be the most common mechanisms of resilience among perinatal women. Older age, having an adolescent partner, family income, and distress were found to affect resilience.

CONCLUSION

Noting that women's resilience is an important tool to prevent perinatal mental health disorders, maternal healthcare providers need to counsel perinatal women on resilience-boosting mechanisms, such as applying self-behavior and having social support or close family relationships. It is recommended to counsel or provide psychosocial interventions for the woman's companion or partner to give strong support for the woman in each of the perinatal periods.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=470966, identifier CRD42023470966.

The prevalence of unintended pregnancy and its influence on pregnancy experience in Tabriz, Iran, 2023: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of quantitative studies that specifically measure the association between the experience of pregnancy and unintended pregnancy. The present study aims to address the prevalence of unintended pregnancy and identify its predictors. Additionally, the study explores whether unintended pregnancy is associated with pregnancy uplifts and hassles.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 488 pregnant women between 20 to 40 weeks' gestation at the comprehensive health center in Tabriz City from February 2022 to January 2023. A cluster sampling method was used for sampling, and data were collected using socio-demographic questionnaires and the Pregnancy Experience Scale (PES). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the socio-demographic characteristics and the prevalence of unintended pregnancy. Binary logistic regression was employed to identify the predictors of pregnancy desirability. To examine the relationship between unintended pregnancy and pregnancy experience, an independent t-test was used for bivariate analysis, and a general linear model (GLM) was utilized for multivariate analysis, with control for potential confounding variables.

RESULTS

The prevalence of unintended pregnancies was 30.7% (24.3% unwanted pregnancies, and 6.4% mistimed pregnancies). The results of the binary logistic regression indicated that the lower age of both the woman and her spouse were significant predictors for unintended pregnancy (P < 0.05). Based on an independent t-test, the mean score for uplifts in women with unintended pregnancy was significantly lower than in women with intended pregnancy (mean difference (MD): -4.99; 95% confidence interval (CI): -5.96 to -4.02; p < 0.001), While the mean score of hassles in women with unintended pregnancy was significantly higher than women with intended pregnancy (MD: 2.92; 95% CI: 2.03 to 3.80; p < 0.001). The results of GLM showed that women who had unintended pregnancies had significantly lower scores for uplifts (B = -4.99; 95% CI: -5.96 to -4.03; P < 0.001) and higher scores for hassles (B = 2.92; 95% CI: 2.06 to 3.78; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The high prevalence of unintended pregnancies in Tabriz highlights the importance of targeted interventions to address this issue, considering the policy framework and unique challenges faced by women. Future studies should focus on developing context-specific interventions that effectively meet the needs of women with unintended pregnancies.

Adverse Perinatal and Neonatal Outcomes among Adolescent Pregnancies in the United States

OBJECTIVE

Despite a downward trend in recent years, adolescent pregnancies in the United States remain higher than any other western country. Adolescent pregnancies have been inconsistently associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between adolescent pregnancies and adverse perinatal and neonatal outcomes in the United States.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a retrospective cohort study of singleton births in the United States from 2014 to 2020 using national vital statistics data. Perinatal outcomes included gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, preterm delivery <37 weeks (preterm birth [PTB]), cesarean delivery (CD), chorioamnionitis, small for gestational age (SGA), large for gestational age (LGA), and neonatal composite outcome. Chi-square tests were used to compare outcomes among adolescent (13-19 years) versus adult (20-29 years) pregnancies. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine association of adolescent pregnancies with perinatal outcomes. For each outcome, we utilized three models: unadjusted logistic regression, adjusted for demographics, and adjusted for demographics and medical comorbidities. Similar analyses were used to compare younger (13-17 years) and older (18-19 years) adolescent pregnancies to adults.

RESULTS

In a cohort of 14,014,078 pregnancies, we found that adolescents were at an increased risk of PTB (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.12, 99% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-1.13) and SGA (aOR: 1.02, 99% CI: 1.01-1.03) compared with adult pregnancies. We also found that multiparous adolescents with a prior history of CD were at an increased risk of CD, compared with adults. For all other outcomes, adult pregnancies were at higher risk for adverse outcomes in the adjusted models. When comparing birth outcomes among adolescents, we found that older adolescents are at an increased risk of PTB, whereas younger adolescents are at an increased risk of both PTB and SGA.

CONCLUSION

After adjusting for confounders, our study demonstrates adolescents have an increased risk of PTB and SGA, compared with adults.

KEY POINTS

· Adolescents as a whole subgroup have an increased risk of PTB and SGA compared with adults.. · Younger adolescents have a risk of PTB and SGA, whereas older adolescents have a risk of PTB only.. · Adverse birth outcomes in adults are gestational diabetes, chorioamnionitis, LGA, and worse neonatal composite score..

Exploring mental health problems and support needs among pregnant and parenting teenagers in rural areas Of Limpopo, South Africa

BACKGROUND

Globally, teenage pregnancy is among the most social problems, affecting 21 million adolescents aged 15-19. Due to the increased responsibility of prenatal and postnatal care for their infants without support, pregnant and parenting teenagers, tend to experience mental health problems. Factors contributing to these problems among pregnant and parenting teenagers in rural African settings have hardly received scholarly attention and, therefore, are less understood. The purpose of the study was to explore mental health and challenges among pregnant and parenting teenagers,.

METHOD(S)

The study adopted a qualitative descriptive, exploratory, and phenomenological design. Purposive sampling was used to select 22 pregnant and parenting teenagers 18 years or older. Data were collected in ten selected clinics within the Demographic Surveillance Systems (HDSS) of DIMAMO and analysed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

The findings reveal that pregnant and parenting teenagers in rural areas experience various mental challenges such as depression. These challenges are caused by social problems such as stigmatisation, lack of support from families and friends, as well as parenting demands that contribute to poor progress at school or dropouts. Pregnant teens expressed concerns about the lack of spousal support resulting from abandoning their partners.

CONCLUSIONS

Stress and depression were self-reported as mental problems among participants with various psychosocial implications, such as school dropout and miscarriage. There are various contributing factors to the mental health problems identified among pregnant and parenting teenagers, including inadequate family and spousal support. Access to integrated reproductive, psychosocial, and mental health services could be essential for these pregnant and parenting teenagers, to improve their mental well-being and improve the support system.

Psychosocial Factors Associated With Perinatal Anxiety and Perinatal Depression Among Adolescents: A Rapid Review

The current review examined the influence of psychosocial factors on adolescents' perinatal anxiety (PA) and perinatal depression (PND) across geographical regions. Three databases were searched for articles published between 2017 and 2022 and 15 articles were reviewed. We categorized factors into social, cultural, and environmental domains. Social factors included adolescent caregiver trust/attachment, social support, perceived social support, trauma/poly-traumatization, and peer solidarity. Cultural factors included feelings of shame, marital satisfaction, partner's rejection of pregnancy, lack of parental involvement in care, parenting stress, childhood household dysfunction, and adverse childhood events. Environmental factors included neighborhood support, food insecurity, domestic violence, going to church, going out with friends, and sources for obtaining information. Routine assessment of psychosocial factors among perinatal teens is crucial to identify those at higher risk for PA and PND. Further research is necessary to examine the influence of cultural and environmental factors on PA, PND, and perinatal outcomes among adolescents. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 62(2), 13-22.].

Measuring resilience and stress during pregnancy and its relation to vulnerability and pregnancy outcomes in a nulliparous cohort study

BACKGROUND

Resilience reflects coping with pregnancy-specific stress, including physiological adaptations of the maternal organism or factors arising from the socioeconomic context, such as low income, domestic violence, drug and alcohol use, lack of a support network and other vulnerability characteristics. Resilience is a dynamic characteristic that should be comparatively evaluated within a specific context; its association with perceived stress and social vulnerability during pregnancy is still not fully understood. This study aimed at exploring maternal resilience, perceived stress and social vulnerability during pregnancy and its associated factors and outcomes.

METHODS

Prospective multicenter cohort study of nulliparous women in Brazil determining resilience (Resilience Scale; RS) and stress (Perceived Stress Scale; PSS) at 28 weeks of gestation (± 1 week). Resilience and stress scores were compared according to sociodemographic characteristics related to maternal/perinatal outcomes and social vulnerability, defined as having low level of education, being adolescent, without a partner or ethnicity other than white.

RESULTS

We included 383 women who completed the RS and PSS instruments. Most women showed low resilience scores (median: 124.0; IQR 98-143). Women with a low resilience score (RS < 125) were more likely from the Northeast region, adolescents, other than whites, did not study or work, had a low level of education, low family income and received public antenatal care. Higher scores of perceived stress were shown in the Northeast, other than whites, at low levels of education, low annual family income and public antenatal care. Pregnant women with low resilience scores (n = 198) had higher perceived stress scores (median = 28) and at least one vulnerability criterion (n = 181; 91.4%).

CONCLUSION

Our results reinforce the role of resilience in protecting women from vulnerability and perceived stress. It may prevent complications and build a positive experience during pregnancy.

An Integrative Review of the Research on Teen Mothers' Resilience

Greater attention to teen mothers' strengths and aspirations has generated interest in their resilience. An integrative review of the research was undertaken to determine how teen mothers' resilience, risks, and protective factors are conceptualized across methodological approaches. In total, 10 databases were searched in 2021 to identify relevant studies. Of the 32 studies meeting criteria, the majority were conducted in the United States. Qualitative studies mined teen mothers' accounts for resilient processes, adversities, and protective factors while quantitative studies operationalized variables based on the resilience framework. The studies in this review present a more balanced and contextual perspective on teen mothers and suggest broader notions of their competence, success, and vulnerabilities. Several studies draw attention to the potential costs of resilience and the heterogeneity of teen mothers. Unfortunately, this research shows little cross-fertilization across methods. Implications of the findings for future research, policy, and practice are described.

The Effects of Pregnancy: A Systematic Review of Adolescent Pregnancy in Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria

There is a high incidence of adolescent pregnancy in West Africa. The objective of this study is to highlight the health impacts of adolescent pregnancy through a systematic review. A search was conducted in the electronic databases of Google, Google Scholar, SCOPUS, EBSCO, CINAHL, Web of Science, African Journals Online (AJOL), and the Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) Program. The study found anemia, complications of pregnancy, obstetric and gynecological risks, unsafe abortions, and psychological effects to adversely impact the health of adolescent girls in Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria. Pregnancy could be deleterious to the health and well-being of adolescent girls in various forms. In addition, adolescent pregnancy could expose adolescent girls to gender-based violence, exclusions, and inequities, be detrimental to upholding women's sexual and reproductive health rights, and could also have implications for Sustainable Development Goal 3. Targeted interventions to prevent pregnancy in young women and mitigate these effects by stakeholders are encouraged.

Caregiver stress and social determinants of health in key populations: immigrant parents, parents of children with medical complexity, and adolescent parents

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To examine the five domains of social determinants of health - economic stability, education access, healthcare access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context - and how these relate to caregiver stress in under-resourced populations.

RECENT FINDINGS

Socioeconomic and family factors are increasingly understood as drivers of child health. Caregiver stress can impact family stability and child wellbeing. Immigrant parents, caregivers of children with medical complexity, and adolescent parents experience stressors due to the unique needs of their families. These groups of parents and caregivers also face various challenges identified as social determinants of health. Interventions to mitigate these challenges can promote resilience, care coordination, and community-based supports.

SUMMARY

Current research describes caregiver stress in key populations, how caregiver stress affects children, and approaches to minimize and mitigate these effects. Pediatric providers can implement best practices to support families who are navigating stress due to caregiving and social determinants of health.

Sociodemographic Influences on Perceived Stress during Pregnancy: Results from the CCREOH Environmental Epidemiologic Study, Suriname

Screening for prenatal stress is not routine in Suriname, despite its significant impact on maternal and newborn health. This study assessed the prevalence of high perceived prenatal stress and its sociodemographic predictors in three geographic areas in Suriname. In this cross-sectional study, data from 1190 participants of the Caribbean Consortium for Research in Environmental and Occupational Health cohort study were analyzed. Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale was completed during pregnancy to ascertain high perceived stress (cut-off score 20). The association between maternal sociodemographic factors and high perceived stress was examined using the chi-square test and logistic regression models; 27.5% of all participants had high perceived stress with statistically significant lower rates in Nickerie (18.8%) compared with Paramaribo (29.8%; p = 0.001) and the Interior (28.6%; p = 0.019). Maternal sociodemographic factors moderated the difference between the Interior and Nickerie. Participants from Paramaribo had statistically significant higher odds of high perceived stress compared to those from Nickerie, independent of their age and educational level (adjusted OR = 1.94; 95% confidence interval 1.32–2.86). Perceived stress during pregnancy is predicted by sociodemographic factors. These findings identified target groups for interventions in Suriname. Policy makers should consider integrating perceived stress assessment as a routine part of prenatal care.