title: Depressive symptoms among reservation-based pregnant American Indian adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine rates and correlates of depressive symptoms among pregnant reservation-based American Indian (AI) adolescents from the Southwestern United States (N = 53).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were derived from a study evaluating a home-visiting program designed to promote positive parenting among young families. Participants included a volunteer, convenience sample of expectant mothers who completed behavioral and mental health self-report questionnaires. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale (CES-D). Three risk domains were analyzed in relation to depressive symptoms: sociodemographics, family relations, and psychosocial functioning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-seven percent of expectant mothers scored at or above the widely accepted clinical cutoff score of 16 on the CES-D; 30% scored at or above 20, a score more likely to reflect elevated depressive symptoms among adolescents; and almost 20% scored at or above 28 (one standard deviation above the mean), a score suggestive of clinical depression. Higher levels of depressive symptoms were associated with less use of public assistance, external locus of control, less social support, and lower self-esteem.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data suggest that a large proportion of pregnant AI adolescents reported elevated depressive symptoms, though rates are similar to non-pregnant AI adolescent samples.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, 600 N. Wolfe Street/CMSC 340, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. gginsbu@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Golda S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Ginsburg
authors.forename: Elena Varipatis
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Britta C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Mullany
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barlow
authors.forename: Novalene
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Goklish
authors.forename: Ranelda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hastings
authors.forename: Audrey E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Thurm
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Speakman
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walkup
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011594:Psychometrics; D012944:Social Support; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult