Psychosocial Experiences of Pregrant Adolescents: A Study at the Tema Metropolis

Abstract

The number of adolescents becoming pregnant is on the increase. They are physically and psychologically immature to withstand the stress of pregnancy yet, society does not give them the necessary support they need to go through this stressful situation. The pregnant adolescents often end up with complications which increase maternal morbidity and mortality in Ghana. The purpose of this qualitative inquiry was to explore the psychosocial experiences of pregnant adolescents in the Tema Metropolis. The study participants were made up of twelve (12), purposively sampled pregnant adolescents attending antenatal clinic at the Tema General Hospital. Individual semi-structured interviews were used to generate the data which was analyzed using content analysis. From the experiences narrated by the participants, ten main themes emerged, which were further categorized into sub-themes. The major themes were causes of pregnancy, conditions at home, reactions of parents towards pregnancy and reactions of partners towards pregnancy. Others included reactions of friends towards pregnancy, attitude of neighbours, economic challenges, reactions of adolescents towards pregnancy, disorders in pregnancy and attitudes of midwives. The findings indicated that pregnant adolescents faced psychological problems such as anxiety, sadness, rejection, thoughts of abortion and suicidal tendencies. Reactions from their parents, partners, peers and neighbours included beatings, anger, denial and gossiping. Some mothers were however supportive. The findings showed that pregnant adolescents were faced with an array of psychosocial problems which could hamper their overall development and wellbeing. It was recommended that the hospital management should identify a day and time to attend to only pregnant adolescents. Also, future research should focus on the coping strategies and quality of life of adolescents after delivery.