B. Dahmen, K. Konrad, L. Jahnen
Jan 14, 2019
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Influential Citations
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Quality indicators
Journal
Der Nervenarzt
Abstract
BACKGROUND Motherhood in adolescence is associated with risks for both the young mother and the children. OBJECTIVE Presentation of the current state of research on the mental health of adolescent mothers and its effects on the development of their children. MATERIAL AND METHODS Electronic database search in PubMed using various combined key terms such as "teenage pregnancy", "adolescent pregnancy", "teenage mother", "child development", "mother-child interaction". Review of the literature of the sources found and discussion of current publications and databases of public institutions. RESULTS In addition to psychosocial risks such as fewer education years due to family formation and lower incomes, young mothers also suffer more frequently from mental disorders, both before pregnancy and due to the additional burden of motherhood in their own developmental phase of youth. These can have unfavorable effects on the mother-child interaction and on the psychosocial and cognitive development of the children, thereby leading to the transgenerational transmission of risk factors. CONCLUSION In addition to primary prevention by avoiding teenage pregnancies, early identification of adolescent mothers and children at risk for early treatment and intervention is necessary.