NCJ Number
231880
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 39 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2010 Pages: 1109-1121
Date Published
September 2010
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined both amount of father involvement with children as well as mothers' satisfaction with the man's involvement.
Abstract
This study examined the associations between adolescent mothers' postpartum depressive symptoms and their perceptions of amount of father care giving and satisfaction with father involvement with the baby. The sample included 100 adolescent mothers (ages 13-19; mainly African-American and Latina) whose partners were recruited for a randomized study for fathers only. Controlling for prenatal depressive symptoms and other prenatal and postpartum variables, we found that higher levels of mothers' satisfaction with father involvement rather than perception of amount of fathers' care giving was significantly associated with fewer postpartum depressive symptoms. The relationship between satisfaction with father involvement and depressive symptoms was partially mediated by mothers' sense of parenting competence and not by mothers' parenting stress. Policy and programs should place greater emphasis on early support for adolescent mothers and their partners, particularly when mothers desire the involvement of the father with his child. Tables and references (Published Abstract)