Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2014 May 7:14:162.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2393-14-162.

The effect of social support around pregnancy on postpartum depression among Canadian teen mothers and adult mothers in the maternity experiences survey

Theresa H M Kim  1 , Jennifer A Connolly, Hala Tamim
Affiliations
Comparative Study

The effect of social support around pregnancy on postpartum depression among Canadian teen mothers and adult mothers in the maternity experiences survey

Theresa H M Kim et al. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. .

Abstract

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mood disorder that affects 10-20 percent of women, and can begin any time during first year after delivery lasting for months. Social support may decrease risk of depression during pregnancy for women. However, literature shows that the amount of social support received during and after pregnancy is different for teen mothers and adult mothers. This study examined the effects of social support received during and after pregnancy on PPD among Canadian women and identified if the relationship was different for teen mothers compared to adult mothers.

Methods: The study was based on secondary analysis of the Maternity Experiences Survey. A total of 6,421 women with singleton live births, aged 15 years and older were analyzed. Teen mothers were identified as 15-19 years old and adult mothers were identified as 20 years and older. The main outcome of the study was PPD, which was evaluated using the Edinburg Postnatal Depression Scale. The main independent variable was social support received during pregnancy and after birth. Logistic regression was computed to assess the relationship between social support and PPD after adjusting for confounding variables and age as an interaction term. Adjusted Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals were reported.

Results: PPD was experienced by 14.0% among teen mothers and 7.2% among adult mothers (p < .001). Overall, teen mothers reported receiving more support during pregnancy and after birth than adult mothers (p < .010). The relationship between social support and PPD did not significantly differ for teen compared to adult mothers. Both teen and adult mothers were approximately five times more likely to experience PPD if they received no support or minimal support after the birth of the baby (95% CI, 3.51-7.36).

Conclusion: Receiving social support especially after birth is important for mothers of all ages to reduce the risk of PPD.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Hupcey JE. Clarifying the social support theory-research linkage. J Adv Nurs. 1998;27:1231–1241. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2648.1998.01231.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Logsdon MC, Koniak-Griffin D. Social support in postpartum adolescents: guidelines for nursing assessments and interventions. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2005;34(6):761–768. doi: 10.1177/0884217505281855. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cassel J. The contribution of the social environment to host resistance. Am J Epidemiol. 1976;104:107–123. - PubMed
    1. Orr ST. Social support and pregnancy outcome: a review of the literature. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 2004;47(4):842–855. doi: 10.1097/01.grf.0000141451.68933.9f. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dennis CL. Can we identify mothers at risk for postpartum depression in the immediate postpartum period using the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale? J Affect Disord. 2004;78(2):163–169. doi: 10.1016/S0165-0327(02)00299-9. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types