Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
J Adolesc Health. 2020 Apr;66(4):464-469. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.10.024. Epub 2020 Feb 10.
Although many young mothers (aged <21 years) are exposed to multiple adversities that increase their risk for mental illness, prevalence data are largely limited self-report questionnaires estimating only the prevalence of postpartum depression. Gaining a greater understanding of the burden of a broader range of common mental illnesses affecting these young women has the potential to improve their health as well as the development and functioning of their children.
The Young Mothers Health Study recruited 450 mothers aged <21 years and 100 comparison mothers (aged >20 years old at first delivery) living in urban and rural central-west Ontario. Age-matched young mothers were also compared with 15- to 17-year-old women without children (N = 630) from the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study. The prevalence of current mental disorders was assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents.
Nearly 2 of 3 young mothers reported at least one mental health problem, and almost 40% had more than one. Young mothers were 2 to 4 times as likely to have an anxiety disorder (generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, and specific phobia), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, or conduct disorder and were 2 to 4 times more likely to have more than one psychiatric problem than older comparison mothers or women aged 15-17 years.
Given the high rates of mental health problems and complex needs of young mothers in Canada and the possible adverse effects of maternal psychopathology on their children, further efforts should be directed at engaging and treating this high-risk group.
尽管许多年轻母亲（年龄<21 岁）面临多种增加其患精神疾病风险的逆境，但流行数据主要局限于使用自我报告问卷来估计产后抑郁症的患病率。更深入地了解影响这些年轻女性的更广泛的常见精神疾病的负担，有可能改善她们的健康状况以及她们孩子的发育和功能。
年轻母亲健康研究招募了 450 名年龄<21 岁的母亲和 100 名年龄在首次分娩时>20 岁的对照组母亲（居住在安大略省中西部的城市和农村地区）。年龄匹配的年轻母亲还与来自 2014 年安大略省儿童健康研究的 15 至 17 岁无子女的女性（N=630）进行了比较。使用儿童青少年迷你国际神经精神访谈（MINI）评估当前精神障碍的患病率。
近 2/3 的年轻母亲报告至少存在一种心理健康问题，近 40%的年轻母亲存在不止一种心理健康问题。年轻母亲患焦虑障碍（广泛性焦虑障碍、分离焦虑障碍、社交恐惧症和特定恐惧症）、注意力缺陷/多动障碍、对立违抗障碍或品行障碍的可能性是年龄较大的对照组母亲的 2 至 4 倍，并且更有可能患有多种精神疾病的可能性是年龄 15-17 岁的女性的 2 至 4 倍。
鉴于加拿大年轻母亲的心理健康问题发生率较高且需求复杂，以及母亲精神病理学对其子女可能产生的不良影响，应进一步努力让这一高风险群体参与并接受治疗。
