Depressive Symptoms Among Hispanic Adolescents and Effect on Neonatal Outcomes.

Introduction: Hispanics have the highest birth rate among adolescents and may be vulnerable to experience depression. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of perinatal depression and effects upon neonatal outcomes among Hispanic adolescents 13-19 years old.

Methods: Available data from a previously conducted study examining the prevalence of adolescent depression and post-traumatic stress were used for the current secondary analysis.

The Adolescent Birth Experience: A Comparison of Three Diverse Groups.

Recognized risk factors influencing the birth experience and subsequent poor mental health are not addressed among childbearing adolescents, especially minority teens. Our study purpose was to compare birth experiences of three adolescent groups by prevalence and influence of selected risk factors as moderated by racial/ethnic background. Using a birth rating scale and the Impact of Event Scale, birth perception and stress were examined among an equal number of Black, White, and Hispanic adolescents.

Adolescents' Perceptions of Childbirth.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe adolescents' perception of birth within the first 72 hours postpartum.

Study Design & Methods: A thematic analysis using qualitative data captured via one overarching question about labor expectations as part of a larger, parent quantitative study exploring psychological birth trauma.

Results: Forty-two percent (n = 128) of adolescents ages 13 to 19 in the original study responded in writing to one overarching question concerning birth expectations.

Adolescent Substance Use and Effects on the Birth Experience.

Depression, violence, and infant complications are recognized risk factors for negative birth experiences. Substance use, which often co-occurs with these risk factors, is unexplored for its role upon the birth experience. The frequency of these risk factors among childbearing adolescents suggests a need for research in this area.

The trauma of birth.

The trauma of birth is an international concern for all childbearing women globally. Since changes in 1994 to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual that included childbirth as a potentially traumatic event, several clusters of researchers, particularly representing the Scandinavian countries, the United Kingdom, and Australia, have emerged. Their research findings appear in numerous publications; yet, what is known from these studies is based on a variety of methodological designs and differing measurement tools making it difficult to draw many firm conclusions (Ayers, 2004 ; Ayers, Joseph, Mc-Kenzie-McHarg, Slade, & Wijma, 2008 ).