Developmental and Ecological Sources of Stress among Adolescent Parents

Abstract

This article provides an overview of research on the stresses associated with normative developmental transitions, the effects of psychological stress on adult parenting and parent-child interactions, and the stresses associated with the transition to parenthood during adolescence, with an emphasis on school-age parents. Suggestions are provided for the design of developmentally and ecologically valid research and interventions, and for broadly based public policy addressing the unique problems associated with adolescent parenting.