title: Longitudinal study of depressive symptoms and social support in adolescent mothers.
abstract: Previous studies have suggested that adolescent mothers with higher social support have lower depressive symptoms. This is a longitudinal study of adolescent mothers to examine the association of social support and depressive symptoms over one year postpartum. This was a prospective study of adolescent mothers (N at baseline = 120, N at 1 year = 89; age < 19 years) enrolled in a teen tot program. Participants completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for children (CES-DC) and the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire at baseline, 12 weeks, and 1 year. A score of ≥ 16 on the CES-DC was suggestive of major depression. The mean CES-DC scores of the adolescent mothers were ≥ 16 points at all three time points (baseline: mean = 18.7 ± 10.3; 53% ≥ 16; 12 weeks: mean = 18.4 ± 11.4, 57% ≥ 16; one year: mean = 20.0 ± 11.4; 57% ≥ 16). Social support had a significant, inverse association with depressive symptoms for all participants from baseline to 12 weeks with a stronger association for those with more depressive symptoms (score ≥ 16) at baseline (beta = -0.030 ± 0.007; P < 0.001) than for those with fewer depressive symptoms (score < 16) at baseline (beta = -0.013 ± 0.006; P = 0.021). From 12 weeks to one year, increased social support was only significantly associated with decreased depressive symptoms for those with a higher baseline level of depressive symptoms (beta = - 0.039 ± 0.009; P < 0.001). Depressive symptoms were prevalent among adolescent mothers. For more depressed adolescent mothers, higher levels of social support were associated with less depressive symptoms over the 1 year follow-up. Effective long-term interventions are needed to lessen depression and enhance social support.
authors.affiliation: Alpert School of Medicine of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors.forename: Joanna D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Sion Kim
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Elizabeth R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: Matthew P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Buman
authors.forename: Joanne E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cox
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001130:Arizona / Q000453:epidemiology; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D011203:Poverty; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires