Investigating Postpartum Depression in the Adolescent Mother Using 3 Potential Qualitative Approaches

Adolescent mothers are twice as likely as their adult counterparts to have postpartum depression (PPD). Left undiagnosed and untreated, PPD can have significant consequences for the mothers, infants, families, communities, and society. Although the epidemiology has been well studied, there is a scarcity in the number of qualitative research studies being conducted to study this unique group of young women. Qualitative research is a perfect match to elicit the voices of adolescent mothers having PPD because the qualitative approach offers a way to gain insight, meaning, and understanding of a phenomenon that is still largely misunderstood and unaddressed. This article will discuss 3 major qualitative approaches (phenomenology, ethnography, and participatory action research) that may be employed to study PPD in the adolescent mother.