Social support during the pregnancy and puerperium of teenage mothers

Abstract

This article is part of a broader investigation addressing a variety of aspects in the complexity of teen pregnancy with respect to their mental health. The findings are evidence of the perceived social support teenage mothers have as an important psychosocial dimension in their mental health during their pregnancy and postpartum. Social support represents a source of security for any mother; this improves her overall health, strengthens her selfesteem, reduces the presence of mental alterations and strengthens the upbringing of the baby within the family. The objective of this article was to identify the perception of social support during the pregnancy and puerperium of teenage mothers. Method. The method used was deductive, quantitative and descriptive. 202 teenage mothers participated in this study; they were assisted at the Ministry of Health and Social Assistance (Ministerio de Salud y Asistencia Social, Minsal, given its Spanish acronym). A voluntary informed assent and consent was ensured. The Social Support Survey MOS-SSS Scale was used; this scale has been validated by Londoño et al. (2012); it consists of 20 items exploring the areas of emotional support, positive interactions and instrumental support as received by the teenage mother. The Alfa Cronbach obtained in the sample was .95. Results. 57,4% of pregnant teenagers do not have emotional support; 56% benefit from positive interactions to enjoy their maternity, and 59% receive instrumental support to meet their physical and social needs during their maternity. Conclusion. Between four and five teenagers out of ten obtain the necessary general and social support. Emotional support and positive interaction remains unchanged as long as the adolescent lives with her parents or her partner. Instrumental support for them to continue their life project is not received by a high percentage of these teenagers, which evidences that it is received by six out of ten adolescents.