Adolescent mothers: A qualitative study on barriers and facilitators to mental health in a low-resource setting in Cape Town, South Africa
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Adolescent mothers: A qualitative study on barriers and facilitators to mental health in a low-resource setting in Cape Town, South Africa | |
| Creator | Field, Sally Abrahams, Zulfa Honikman, Simone | |
| Description | Background: Pregnant and postnatal adolescent women are a high-risk group for common mental disorders (CMDs); however, they have low levels of engagement and retention with mental health services. Negative consequences of CMDs have been documented for both mother and child.Aim: The study aimed to explore the barriers and facilitators to service access for adolescents in low-resource settings.Setting: We interviewed 12 adolescents, aged 15–19 years, from low-resource settings in Cape Town, South Africa. Participants had previously engaged with a mental health service, integrated into maternity care.Methods: Twelve semi-structured, individual interviews were used for this qualitative study. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and coded. A framework analysis was employed for data analysis.Results: Adolescents perceived considerable stigma around both teenage pregnancy and mental illness, which inhibited use of mental health services. Other barriers included fearing a lack of confidentiality as well as logistical and environmental obstacles. Service uptake was facilitated by support from other adults and flexible appointment times. Face-to-face individual counselling was their preferred format for a mental health intervention.Conclusion: Several key components for adolescent-friendly mental health services emerged from our findings: integrate routine mental health screening into existing obstetric services to de-stigmatise mental health problems and optimise screening coverage; coordinate obstetric and counselling appointment times to rationalise the use of limited resources; and sensitise care providers to the needs of adolescents to reduce stigma around adolescent sexual activity and mental illness. A non-judgemental, caring and confidential relationship between counsellors and clients is crucial for successful interactions. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2020-05-28 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2279 | |
| Source | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 12, No 1 (2020); 9 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/2279/3835
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/2279/3834
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/2279/3836
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/2279/3833
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