Pregnancy and early motherhood can be challenging under any circumstances for adolescents. But in Kenya the challenges are huge. Many pregnant and parenting adolescents face stigma, interrupted education, financial hardship, strained family relationships and limited social support.
These challenges can increase their risk of depression and other common mental health problems during a critical stage of life.
Yet access to mental health care for this group remains limited. In Kenya, 15% of girls aged 15-19 have been pregnant and the national adolescent birth rate is 73 per 1,000 girls. Mental health specialists are scarce and services are concentrated in urban areas. Mental health support is rarely integrated into routine maternal and adolescent healthcare. Consequently, many young mothers who could benefit from support never receive it. Similar challenges are seen across many African countries.
We are mental health researchers and clinicians who have spent more than a decade working with adolescents, young mothers, health workers and policymakers to improve access to mental healthcare in Kenya.
In a recent paper we set out the findings of a trial that tested the effectiveness of group interpersonal psychotherapy for depression management in Kenya among 122 perinatal (pregnant or parenting) adolescents.
