Psychological Correlates of Teenage Motherhood (From Teenage Pregnancy, P 203-219, 1987, Mary C. McClellan, ed. -- See NCJ-117071)

• NCJ Number: 117082
• Author(s): R P Barth; S P Schinke; J S Maxwell
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 17 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: William T. Grant Foundation
• Sale Source: Phi Delta Kappa
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Reprinted from the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, volume 12, number 6, December 1983.

Annotation

In this study, adolescent mothers (n=62), pregnant teenagers (n=63), and nonpregnant and nonparenting adolescents (n=60) enrolled in public high schools completed measures of socioeconomic status, depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-esteem, and social supports.

Abstract

Five instruments used to measure subjects' well-being were an adaptation of Pearlin and Schooler's major study on stress and coping, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Pearlin Mastery Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Depression Inventory. Four measures assessed subjects' social support, and a fifth estimated socioeconomic status. Differences between parenting, pregnant, and comparison groups on the self-report measures were assessed with multivariate and univariate analyses. 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 programs for teenage mothers and renewed efforts to enhance young mothers' social and socioeconomic resources are recommended. 3 tables, 69 references. (Author abstract modified)