A new study from McMaster Children's Hospital published in the Journal of Adolescen Health has found that two out of three young mothers (aged 21 and younger) have at least one mental health problem after the birth of their child. Young mothers have been found to have a prevalence of mental health challenges that is up to four times higher than their peers and mothers older than 21 years of age, with almost 40% of young moms having more than one mental health issue, including depression, a range of anxiety disorders, and hyperactivity. The findings, while disquieting, shed better light o the mental health challenges of young mothers and open the door for researchers and physicians to create more inclusive screening processes to insure the health and safety young mothers and their children

1. 135 views | Feb 25, 2020, 05:00am
Mental Health Challenges Are 4 Times
Higher Among Young Mothers, Study
Finds
Healthcare
Clary Estes Contributor
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 19: Arlin Rueda, 20, of Aurora, Co. grasps the hand of her new born daughter ... [+] THE
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A new study from McMaster Children's Hospital published in the Journal of Adolescen
Health has found that two out of three young mothers (aged 21 and younger) have at
least one mental health problem after the birth of their child. Young mothers have been
found to have a prevalence of mental health challenges that is up to four times higher
than their peers and mothers older than 21 years of age, with almost 40% of young

2. moms having more than one mental health issue, including depression, a range of
anxiety disorders, and hyperactivity. The findings, while disquieting, shed better light o
the mental health challenges of young mothers and open the door for researchers and
physicians to create more inclusive screening processes to insure the health and safety
young mothers and their children.
“Now that we understand that young mothers can struggle with problems other than ju
postpartum depression, our findings can be used to develop better screening processes
more effectively detect mental health problems in teenaged mothers, and direct
treatment,” says lead author, Dr. Ryan Van Lieshout, a psychiatrist and Canada
Research Chair in the Perinatal Programming of Mental Disorders, as well as an
associate professor of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences at McMaster Universit
Not only does the study shed light on the prevalence of mental health issues among
young mothers, it also highlights a blind spot in the research and understanding of the
types of mental health issues that these young mothers are facing. “Young mothers can
face a great deal of adversity both before and after becoming a parent, yet next-to-
nothing has been known about the rates and types of significant mental health problem
among these women in our community,” says Dr. Van Lieshout. “We did this study to
better understand these problems so that we can help to improve outcomes for young
mothers and their families.”
The study recruited 450 mothers aged younger than 21 years old, as well as 100
comparison mothers aged older than 20 years old, at the time of their first delivery
between 2012 and 2015 from Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand-Norfolk, and Brant
counties in surrounding Ontario, Canada. “Because Canadian teen mothers are a
difficult group to study, most previous research was based on very small samples and
used mailed questionnaires rather than doing direct interviews," says Dr. Van Lieshout
"Structured diagnostic interviews are the gold standard for this kind of research. We're
glad to have used this method to talk to hundreds of young mothers about their
experiences."
As further study of these vulnerable communities expands it will be interesting to see
how medical procedural coverage, as well as political policy in both the US and Canada
will develop to help young mothers cope, as well as support the success of them and

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Clary Estes is a journalist born and raised in Central Kentucky who works on a variety of stories
globally.
their families as they age and grow into their communities. “We hope that this sparks
partnerships between healthcare, educational, and social service organisations so that
we can meet the needs of this vulnerable population.” Said Dr. Van Lieshout.
Clary Estes
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