Impact of teenage pregnancies on adolescents’ mental health after covid-19: A case of Kakuma Turkana west sub-county, Kenya

Abstract

This research studied the impact of teenage pregnancies on adolescents' mental health after COVID-19: a case study of Kakuma Turkana West Sub-County, Kenya. The purpose of the study was to identify the impact of teenage pregnancies on adolescents' mental health after COVID-19 in Turkana West Sub-County to provide evidence to guide preventive and targeted mental health services for adolescent mothers in similar settings. Teenage pregnancy was already a public health crisis, but the COVID-19 pandemic aggravated the issue and also mental health issues among adolescents, especially in marginalized regions. Minimized access to education, healthcare, and social support systems precluded during lockdown increased psychological distress and placed adolescents who were pregnant at higher risk of anxiety, depression, and intimate partner violence. The study aimed to achieve four objectives: to find out the socio-demographic factors associated with teenage pregnancies, to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, to establish the role of social support systems in mitigating mental health issues, and to find out the prevalence of common mental health disorders among adolescent mothers. The study was guided by two theories: the Social Cognitive Theory by Albert Bandura and the Theory of Planned Behavior by Icek Ajzen. The study purposefully selected a target population of 62 teenage mothers who re-enrolled in twelve schools in Kakuma Town, using a mixed methodology and a descriptive survey design. A purposive sampling technique was used to select study participants. A pilot study was conducted to test the reliability and validity of the tools before the actual study, and items were adjusted to address this study’s objectives. The researcher obtained ethical clearance from the Scientific and Research Ethics Committee from KCA University, an introduction letter from the Postgraduate School, and a NACOSTI license. To ensure no harm the researcher obtained consent from the study participants. The quantitative and qualitative data were collected through questionnaires and focus groups were filled out by 54 teenage mothers and 15 informants from the local ministry of education, healthcare providers, and community structures, with a return rate of 93%. Data was analyzed using descriptive, inferential, and thematic analysis and was presented through tables showing sample characteristics and variable-wise data, including means, standard deviations, frequencies, and percentages. The findings informed that 77.8% of the adolescent mothers were aged between 18-19 years, which aligned with common trends in teenage pregnancies. The COVID-19 pandemic had a considerable negative impact on mental health, with a mean score of 4.3 for difficulty accessing mental health services and 4.5 for increased feelings of isolation. This informed that the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing mental health challenges among the participants. Though it showed that family and peer support reduced stress levels, the study recommends the formulation of policies that will integrate adolescent mental health care into reproductive health and maternal health services to assist in mental health being prioritized. The findings will benefit school managers, parents, teenage mothers, and education and health policymakers, as the statistical data collected through the study identified the prevalence of common mental issues and risk factors experienced by adolescent mothers, which may lead to the development of psychological interventions and policies.