Social support and the risk of maternal rejection by adolescent mothers.

A sample of 50 mothers were used to test the hypothesis that variations in amounts, sources, and kinds of support would be related to maternal rejection as measured by the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire. The results indicate that both emotional support and the total amount of support received have an inverse relationship with maternal rejection. Relatives and a partner or spouse were found to be the most important sources of support. It was concluded that when young mothers are isolated from a supportive social environment their children run a greater risk of maternal rejection.