Intragroup accounts of teenage motherhood : a community based psychological perspective

Abstract

Using community based and women-centred perspectives, this study explored experiences of unplanned motherhood during adolescence. Ten African teenage mothers from a semi-rural area in KwaZulu-Natal volunteered to meet once a week for eight weeks to discuss their experiences of pregnancy and motherhood. The findings are discussed in the context of the effect of teenage motherhood on self, on family and peer relationships, traditional Zulu customs, and community support. Current relationships with partners and concerns about the future are also reported. The results indicate the need for school-based programmes and parent groups for adolescent mothers that will enhance their ability to examine options with a view to establishing a trajectory towards better life outcomes. Community health workers were also identified as resource personnel for enabling teenage mothers in rural and semi-rural areas to cope with their concerns and develop a way of understanding them.