Teen mothers' mental health: A call for action based on the State of the Science

Background/Issue: Psychological distress among teen mothers is prevalent, serious and neglected. High rates are attributed to adverse childhood adversities (ACEs) and the challenges of parenting in the context of cumulative disadvantage, stigma, and flawed policies. While it is well known that psychological distress has a lasting and perverse impact on the health and development of teen mothers and their children, barriers to mental health care are ubiquitous.  

 Description: This State of the Science reviews what is known about teen mothers’ psychological distress (symptoms of depression, anxiety, and trauma) and its long-term impact on maternal-child physical and mental health. Recent advances in the neurobiology of chronic stress and mental health interventions are also reviewed.

Lessons Learned: Efforts to improve teen mothers’ mental health lag far behind evidence-based interventions to improve other maternal-child outcomes. Teen mothers are poorly served by the mental health system. The current focus on postpartum depression neglects comorbid conditions. Intervention studies are rare and do not address comorbidities.

 Implications/Recommendations: Failure to address psychological distress contributes to major public health problems in the U.S. This review calls for perinatal screening of comorbid mental health conditions and for research into effective treatment. Integrating mental health care into programs already serving teen mothers should receive the highest priority. Moving in this direction requires the testing of models that enhance the efforts of front line staff (teachers, childcare providers, and home visitors) to provide trauma-informed psychological support.