Mediators of depression among low-income,adolescent mothers of infants: A longitudinal perspective

The purpose of this study was to identify, using a life events perspective, Stressors and resources that mediate depression for adolescent mothers at the time of the birth of their child and at one year postpartum. The data for this study consisted of interviews with 157 low-income adolescent mothers age 12–18 at the birth of their child. They were selected from a larger prospective study of mothers of infants and stress. Multiple regression analyses revealed two key results that were consistent for the data obtained at birth and at one year postpartum. Predictors of depressive symptomatology and of a clinical syndrome of depression were similar. Also, Stressors generally were more important as mediators of depression than resources.Received Ph.D. in child and family studies from the University of Tennessee. Current research interests are adolescent stress and coping and marital dissolution.Received DrPH from Harvard University. Current research interests are the role of stress and social support in the etiology of child maltreatment, adaptation and coping in families with children who have birth defects, and incarcerated mothers and their children.Received M.D. from Stanford University and M.P.H. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Current research interests include stress and social support, etiology of child maltreatment, injury prevention, prenatal care, and infectious disease in day care.Received Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in Biostatistics. Current research interests include applications of survival analysis and analysis of observational data.The data for this paper were part of a larger study funded by Grant No. MCJ370521 awarded by the Bureau of Health Care Delivery and Assistance (now the Bureau of Maternal and Child Health and Resources Development). Data analysis was funded by an Innovative Research Award from the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Partial support from NIMH Center Grant (MH33127): Biostatistics Core for M. J. Symons is gratefully acknowledged.