SOCIAL SUPPORT, NETWORK STRUCTURE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTION IN ADOLESCENT MOTHERS AND DELAYERS: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY.
Contributors: University of Rochester.
Published: 1989
Number of pages: 174
Subjects: Psychology, Developmental.; Psychology, Social.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: Adolescent motherhood has been studied extensively, documenting both the immediate and long term outcomes for the young woman and her child. Social support has been identified as an important protective force in preventing negative health outcomes in a variety of populations, including adolescent mothers. However, the mechanism by which social support operates is not fully understood, particularly among adolescent mothers. The purpose of this study was to examine the direct effect of social support on the outcome of depression, while simultaneously measuring the indirect effects of two psychological characteristics, self esteem and social competence. In addition, this two-wave longitudinal study spanning a period of three years also measured the degree of change/stability in several structural and functional social network characteristics of adolescent mothers and delayers of parenthood.

The study sample was comprised of 62 subjects, aged 15 to 21 at the second measurement period. The racially and socioeconomically mixed sample consisted of delayers of parenthood (N = 24) and mothers (N = 38). In the mothers group, 11 remained stable mothers from Time one, 16 had become second or third time mothers and 11 subjects had become new mothers during the Time one-Time two interim.

Study findings partially supported the research hypotheses. While there was no direct protective effect of social support on subsequent depression, significant indirect effects existed, suggesting that both self esteem and social competence at Time one bolstered the effects of social support, resulting in decreased subsequent depression.

The network structural changes observed immediately following childbirth in the mothers group, characterized by more frequent contact with a smaller, denser and family dominated network, persisted over time. However, the experience of stress during the previous year had no influence on structural characteristics, although stress was strongly associated with decreased self esteem and social competence as well as increased depression.

Marked cross-sectional differences on psychological variables existed not by virtue of maternal status per se, but by change in maternal status. Repeat mothers were lower in self esteem and both repeat and new mothers were significantly more depressed at Time one, antecedent to childbirth. In addition, those mothers living with their partners reported less satisfaction with perceived social support and were lower in both self esteem and social competence. Implications for nursing practice and further research investigation were drawn.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 51-09, Section: B, page: 4617.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER, 1989.

School code: 0188.