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Adolescent development and transitions to motherhood
P J Flanagan1, M M McGrath, E C Meyer
1Department of Pediatrics, Women & Infants' Hospital, Providence, RI 02905, USA.
Pediatrics
|August 1, 1995
Summary
Adolescent mothers
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Adolescent Health
- Maternal Health
Background:
- Motherhood during adolescence presents unique challenges.
- Understanding the factors influencing adolescent maternal role perception is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the lived experience of adolescent motherhood.
- To evaluate how psychosocial and cognitive development impacts the maternal role concept in teenagers.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods approach combining qualitative (grounded theory, focus groups, interviews) and quantitative (correlational analysis) research.
- Hypothesis generation through qualitative data analysis, followed by quantitative testing with structured interviews.
Main Results:
- Qualitative analysis suggested a link between a teen mother's psychosocial/cognitive development and her maternal role conceptualization.
- Quantitative findings confirmed a strong correlation (r² = .81) between the developmental complexity of self-perception and maternal role perception.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent motherhood experiences and maternal role conceptualization are significantly influenced by the young mother's psychosocial and cognitive development.
- This highlights the importance of supporting adolescent mothers' overall development to foster positive maternal role adaptation.