Nannini S, Tung I, Northrup JB, Stepp SD, Keenan K, Hipwell AE. Changes in severity of depression and borderline personality disorder symptoms from pregnancy to three years postpartum in adolescent mothers.
J Affect Disord 2021;
294:459-463. [PMID:
34325165 PMCID:
PMC8410668 DOI:
10.1016/j.jad.2021.07.034]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
The transition to motherhood is associated with the emergence or exacerbation of symptoms of emotional distress disorders for many women. Although adolescence is a developmental period of increased risk for mood disorders and emotion dysregulation among women, little is known about changes in emotional distress across the early postpartum years among adolescent mothers. We tested the hypothesis that symptoms of depression and borderline personality disorder (BPD) would differ between pregnant and non-pregnant adolescents, and that these differences would be maintained in the three years following delivery.
METHODS
Data were drawn from the longitudinal Pittsburgh Girls Study: 307 adolescent mothers (14-18 years) and 307 never-pregnant adolescents, matched on age, race and household receipt of public assistance, self-reported severity of depression and BPD across four years.
RESULTS
There were no group differences on depression severity during or after pregnancy. However, compared with their non-pregnant peers, pregnant adolescents reported more severe BPD symptoms even after comorbid depression symptoms were accounted for, and this group difference was sustained during the following three years.
LIMITATIONS
Findings are based on a community sample rather than a clinical sample, which may have limited the severity of symptoms captured.
CONCLUSIONS
Findings suggest that adolescent mothers are a high-risk group for BPD symptoms during and after pregnancy, highlighting pregnancy as a critical window of opportunity to reduce morbidity among young mothers and potential negative effects on the next generation.
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