title: Effects of Adolescent Childbearing on Maternal Depression and Problem Behaviors: A Prospective, Population-Based Study Using Risk-Set Propensity Scores.
abstract: Adolescent mothers are reportedly at risk for depression and problem behaviors in the postpartum period, but studies have rarely considered developmental context and have yet to disentangle the effects of childbearing on adolescent functioning from selection effects that are associated with early pregnancy. The current study examined changes in adolescent depression, conduct problems and substance use (alcohol, tobacco and marijuana) across the peripartum period using risk-set propensity scores derived from a population-based, prospective study that began in childhood (the Pittsburgh Girls Study, PGS). Each of 147 childbearing adolescents (ages 12-19) was matched with two same-age, non-childbearing adolescents (n = 294) on pregnancy propensity using 15 time-varying risk variables derived from sociodemographic, psychopathology, substance use, family, peer and neighborhood domains assessed in the PGS wave prior to each pregnancy (T1). Postpartum depression and problem behaviors were assessed within the first 6 months following delivery (T2); data gathered from the non-childbearing adolescent controls spanned the same interval. Within the childbearing group, conduct problems and marijuana use reduced from T1 to T2, but depression severity and frequency of alcohol or tobacco use showed no change. When change was compared across the matched groups, conduct problems showed a greater reduction among childbearing adolescents. Relative to non-childbearing adolescents who reported more frequent substance use with time, childbearing adolescents reported no change in alcohol use and less frequent use of marijuana across the peripartum period. There were no group differences in patterns of change for depression severity and tobacco use. The results do not support the notion that adolescent childbearing represents a period of heightened risk for depression or problem behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.|Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Alison E
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7179-1151
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Hipwell
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.|Postgraduate Programme in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Shuangyan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.affiliation: Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.|Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
authors.forename: Stephanie D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Stepp
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kate E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Keenan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001519:Behavior; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011253:Pregnancy in Adolescence / Q000523:psychology*; D057216:Propensity Score; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology