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Multicenter Study
. 2025 Jul-Aug;101(4):608-615.
doi: 10.1016/j.jped.2025.03.011. Epub 2025 May 27.

Mental health issues in adolescent mothers and young adult mothers: the Brazilian context

Amanda Ferreira de Carvalho  1 , Daniela Dal Forno Kinalski Guaranha  1 , Bruna Marmett  1 , Júlia Mathias Reis  2 , Carmem Lisiane Escouto de Souza  1 , Bruna Silveira da Rosa  3 , Tiago Chagas Dalcin  1 , Sérgio Luis Amantea  1
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Mental health issues in adolescent mothers and young adult mothers: the Brazilian context

Amanda Ferreira de Carvalho et al. J Pediatr (Rio J). 2025 Jul-Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To analyze anxiety and depression levels in adolescent and young adult mothers.

Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted across Brazil's five regions. A non-probabilistic sample of 1177 adolescent (10-19 years) and young adult (20-29 years) mothers was selected proportionally based on regional live birth rates. Data collection (August 2022-May 2023) involved a structured questionnaire assessing mental health (DASS-21), family support, and quality of life. Statistical analyses were performed using RStudio©, with p-values < 0.05 considered significant. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee (CAAE: 55465822.0.2003.5086).

Results: Depression or anxiety was reported by 22.7 % of both adolescent and young adult mothers, with 7.55 % and 7.07 % diagnosed during pregnancy, respectively. Among affected adolescents, 66.67 % did not seek follow-up care, primarily due to limited healthcare access (29.55 %). Adolescent mothers showed a higher prevalence of depression (p < 0.001), anxiety (p < 0.001), and stress (p = 0.027) postpartum. Depression was associated with a lack of emotional support from the child's father (p = 0.096), insufficient family caregiving support (p = 0.014), and low perceived quality of life.

Conclusion: Adolescent mothers exhibit greater vulnerability to mental disorders, emphasizing the need for targeted psychological and social support during the perinatal period.

Keywords: Adolescent pregnancy; Anxiety; Depression; Mental health; Pregnancy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig 1
Figure 1
Relationship of the levels obtained in the DASS-21 for depression, anxiety, and stress observed in the groups of adolescent and young adult mothers. Source: Authors' elaboration, 2023.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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