The Influence of Supportive Relations on the Psychological Well-Being of Teenage Mothers

Abstract

Little is known about how family members respond to teenage childbearing and mothering. This paper explores the influence of family and peer resources on adaptation to teenage motherhood. Several sources of support are considered separately in order to determine whether they all contribute similarly to psychological wellbeing. Data from a survey of young mothers support the hypothesis that personal relations differ in their influence. Supports from friends and relatives, in particular female siblings, are associated with higher levels of stress and distress, while support from a male partner is associated with low levels of distress. The empirical analysis controls for the effects on psychological well-being of race, education, age, household composition, marital status, and poverty status. The results suggest that race and education are also important in explaining variations in psychological well-being of teenage mothers.