Mental health of young parents from pregnancy through 1 year postpartum

Poor mental health during the postpartum period can have a significant impact on parents and their new baby. Young parents may be more vulnerable to poor mental health than older parents; however, research to understand their mental health and use of mental health services is limited. Accordingly, we aimed to examine depressive symptoms and use of mental health care among young parents. Data were derived from a longitudinal cohort of pregnant adolescent females (ages 14-21; N=296) and their male partners followed through 1 year postpartum. Multilevel regression models stratified by gender identified trends over time and factors associated with elevated depressive symptoms (top quartile; >13 on modified CES-D). Depressive symptoms significantly decreased from pregnancy through 1 year postpartum among females (B=-0.91, p<0.001), but increased among males, although this trend was non-significant (B=0.35, p=0.145). Mental health care use was stable for females (approximately 5.0%), but increased significantly for males (OR=1.70, p=0.014) from 1.4% during pregnancy to 4.0% at 1 year. Among females, healthy eating (OR=0.50) and greater social support (OR=0.94) were associated with lower odds of having elevated depressive symptoms, while experiencing intimate partner violence (OR=6.61) was associated with higher odds (all p<0.05). Among males, greater social support (OR=0.97) and higher relationship satisfaction (OR=0.98) were associated with lower odds of having elevated depressive symptoms (both p<0.05). Results suggest postpartum mental health, particularly among young males, requires additional attention. Improving relationships between young parents, their use of mental health services, and social support may help improve the overall health of young families.