Personal Adjustment During Pregnancy and Adolescent Parenting

This study examined "naturally occurring differences" in personal adjustment (social competence, behavior problems, and problem-solving skills) among representative groups of pregnant and nonpregnant adolescents and pregnant adults. Differences in parenting stress and parenting style were also assessed among a subsample of adolescent and adult mothers. Finally, the relationship between prenatally assessed personal adjustment and parenting was evaluated in the adolescent mother group. The contributions of important demographic characteristics (socioeconomic status and race) to both between- and within-group relationships were examined. Results suggested that pregnant adolescents were less socially competent and less proficient in their problem solving than their nonpregnant peers and that they exhibited more behavioral problems than a pregnant adult comparison group. Adolescent mothers displayed higher levels of parenting stress and were less responsive and sensitive in interactions with their infants than adult mothers. Support for the hypothesized link between prenatally assessed personal adjustment and adolescent parenting stress was found, whereas no relationship between socioeconomic status and race and parenting stress was established. These results suggest that intervention with young mothers identified during pregnancy as having personal problems might forestall parenting problems that arise during early child rearing.