Depression among adolescent mothers: a pilot study

Eighteen women less than 22 years old, who had their first child during adolescence, were assessed with a standard in-depth diagnostic interview for the presence of and/or history of depression and other disorders. Eight of the 18 women (44%) had experienced at least one episode of major depressive disorder at some point in their lives. A majority of episodes had their onset during pregnancy. Moreover, six women (33%) were experiencing a diagnosable form of depression at the time of the interview. Most of the women who had been depressed experienced at least part of their depression while they were raising their children. Whereas these preliminary findings need to be replicated due to the small sample size, they draw attention to the need for the integration of mental health assessment and treatment in service programs for adolescent mothers.