Research sets the perspective

Since I am just starting my journey and researching how to help and support teen mothers in Kenya integrate back into their communities, I wanted to understand the challenges these teen mothers face. I came across this study, “Adolescent Pregnancy and Challenges in Kenyan Context: Perspectives from Multiple Community Stakeholders” by Manasi Kumar et al. (2018), which explains the mental health complications and experiences teen mothers face in Kenya. The study takes place in Kariobangi and Kangemi, two towns within Nairobi, Kenya. There were 36 participants; most of the participants were pregnant teens; the others were caregivers. Each participant was interviewed individually, which was followed by a group discussion. The participants were diverse within their personal experiences; some were underage sex workers or abandoned by their partners. During the interviews, the teens were asked to share their experiences and needs as well as how an ongoing support group could help them through their experience as a teen mother. Kumar (2018) stated that 55–80% of teen mothers go through depression during their time as teen mothers. They found this to be true when they screened their participants; 8 out of 10 of them were depressed.

The findings concluded that the teen mothers experienced depression, shame, alienated and different types of stressors. There were personal statements/answers in the study that made it feel more intimate. These teens grew up in a culture where there was a lot of stigma and shame in being a teen mother, which immensely derailed their mental health. The families of these teens were very unaccepting and shunned them. The teen’s mother figure is more empathetic, but father figures were not and made having relations with their pregnant teen very hard. The teens expressed high stress when conversing about food insecurity, lack of financial support, and highly emphasized lack of healthcare due to minimal financial support. The caregivers expressed their empathy towards the teen mothers and how much they want to help but how hard it was for them to help. What I appreciated about this study’s goal was to fully understand the needs for these teen mothers. After reading and reflecting on the information and specific needs, it only made me more aware and excited to work with my team on designing some form of aid to these teens.

Refernces:

Kumar, M., Huang, K. Y., Othieno, C., Wamalwa, D., Madeghe, B., Osok, J., Kahonge, S. N., Nato, J., & McKay, M. M. (2018). Adolescent Pregnancy and Challenges in Kenyan Context: Perspectives from Multiple Community Stakeholders. Global social welfare : research, policy & practice, 5(1), 11–27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40609-017-0102-8