Responding to the challenge of adolescent perinatal depression
Programs and partnerships
Lead institution(s)
Summary
Adolescents experience a number of major neurobiological, hormonal, physical, and psychological changes, which present important risks to their health and well-being.Read more
Adolescents experience a number of major neurobiological, hormonal, physical, and psychological changes, which present important risks to their health and well-being. Pregnancy compounds this experience for adolescents, and society’s expectations often add further pressures well beyond those experienced by the average pregnant adult. However, health systems are not attuned to the particular care needs of pregnant adolescents. Evidence shows that a critical gap exists in the management of perinatal adolescent depression, a condition that brings significant long-lasting consequences for both the mother and the infant.
Through this project, researchers will complement their ongoing work in maternal mental health by addressing the critical knowledge gap regarding the mental health needs of adolescents. Specifically, they will develop and evaluate an intervention program for adolescent perinatal depression, and determine the factors required for its integration in the delivery of routine primary care. They will collaborate with the Nigerian National Mental Health Action Committee to promote the uptake of their findings into policies and practices related to the management of perinatal depression. This work will contribute to the much-needed body of evidence on how to develop policies and scale up programs for integrated adolescent mental health care in Nigeria and beyond.
The project will build on the established partnership between the University of Ibadan (Nigeria) and McGill University (Canada). By focusing on adolescent mental health, it addresses an important under-researched and strategic niche area in maternal and neonatal health.
This project is funded by the Innovating for Maternal and Child Health in Africa program. It is a seven-year $36 million initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada, IDRC, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Research outputs
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This study identified predisposing, enabling, and hindering factors to health services utilization by adolescent mothers. Approximately 95% of all births to girls under age 18 occur in low- and middle -income countries (LMICs), where supporting infrastructure for healthcare is limited. Depression is a common and severe disorder among low-income adolescent mothers, where treatment often includes stigmatizing attitudes towards adolescent sexuality by healthcare providers. The study recognizes that it is difficult for someone young to enforce anything at home because they are not autonomous.
The project, “Responding to the challenge of adolescent perinatal depression (RAPiD)” is designed to address the need for interventions, as well as demonstrate effectiveness of interventions, for depressive disorders among adolescent mothers. The article provides a detailed proposal outline including background information and methodology of the RAPiD programme development and objectives, including conducting a comprehensive process evaluation to assess the barriers and facilitators of scaling up the intervention. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of interventions delivered to adolescents with perinatal depression. The World Health Organization estimates that up to 11% of all births worldwide are to girls aged between 15 and 19 years.
The presentation reports on a study regarding perinatal depression, with findings that show the rate of perinatal depression is much higher among adolescents compared to adults. A suggested course of action is reviewed: “Responding to the challenge of Adolescent Perinatal Depression (RAPiD).” Pregnant adolescents are often ostracized and receive little or no support from family members. The RAPiD programme provides training and resources for pregnant teenagers. This is a global health issue: WHO estimates 11% of all births are to girls aged 15-19 years. The highest rates are in sub-Saharan Africa (30% of live births are to girls under 18 years of age).