OBJECTIVE: The subject of this study was the relation between retrospectively reported early-onset psychiatric disorders and subsequent teenage parenthood in the general population. METHOD: The data were from 5,877 respondents aged 15-54 years in the National Comorbidity Survey, a nationally representative household survey. Information on respondents' DSM-III-R anxiety disorders, mood disorders, substance abuse disorders, and conduct disorder, age at the birth of the first child, and teenage sexual activity was collected in face-to-face interviews. RESULTS: Early-onset psychiatric disorders were associated with subsequent teenage parenthood among both females and males, with significant odds ratios of 2.0-12.0 and population attributable risk proportions of 6.2%-33.7%. Disaggregation analyses showed that disorders were associated with increased probability of sexual activity but not with decreased probability of using contraception. CONCLUSIONS: These results add to a growing body of evidence that psychiatric disorders are associated with a variety of adverse life consequences. The current policy debate concerning universal insurance coverage needs to take this into consideration. Planners of interventions aimed at preventing teenage pregnancy should consider including a mental health treatment component in their intervention packages. Mental health professionals treating adolescents need to be sensitized to their higher risk of pregnancy, while family doctors and specialists treating teenage mothers or their children need to be sensitized to the mothers' higher risk of psychiatric disorder.
OBJECTIVE: The subject of this study was the relation between retrospectively reported early-onset psychiatric disorders and subsequent teenage parenthood in the general population. METHOD: The data were from 5,877 respondents aged 15-54 years in the National Comorbidity Survey, a nationally representative household survey. Information on respondents' DSM-III-R anxiety disorders, mood disorders, substance abuse disorders, and conduct disorder, age at the birth of the first child, and teenage sexual activity was collected in face-to-face interviews. RESULTS: Early-onset psychiatric disorders were associated with subsequent teenage parenthood among both females and males, with significant odds ratios of 2.0-12.0 and population attributable risk proportions of 6.2%-33.7%. Disaggregation analyses showed that disorders were associated with increased probability of sexual activity but not with decreased probability of using contraception. CONCLUSIONS: These results add to a growing body of evidence that psychiatric disorders are associated with a variety of adverse life consequences. The current policy debate concerning universal insurance coverage needs to take this into consideration. Planners of interventions aimed at preventing teenage pregnancy should consider including a mental health treatment component in their intervention packages. Mental health professionals treating adolescents need to be sensitized to their higher risk of pregnancy, while family doctors and specialists treating teenage mothers or their children need to be sensitized to the mothers' higher risk of psychiatric disorder.
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Keywords:
Adolescent Pregnancy; Adolescents; Age Factors; Americas; Biology; Delivery Of Health Care; Demographic Factors; Developed Countries; Diseases; Fertility; Fertility Measurements; First Birth; Health; Health Services; Medicine; Mental Disorders; North America; Northern America; Population; Population Characteristics; Population Dynamics; Pregnancy History; Psychiatry; Reproductive Behavior; Research Methodology; Research Report; Risk Factors; Sampling Studies; Studies; Surveys; United States; Youth
Authors: Laura Andrade; Jorge J Caraveo-Anduaga; Patricia Berglund; Rob V Bijl; Ron De Graaf; Wilma Vollebergh; Eva Dragomirecka; Robert Kohn; Martin Keller; Ronald C Kessler; Norito Kawakami; Cengiz Kiliç; David Offord; T Bedirhan Ustun; Hans-Ulrich Wittchen Journal: Int J Methods Psychiatr Res Date: 2003 Impact factor: 4.035