Risk Factors Associated with Depression and Anxiety among Perinatal Teenage Girls Accessing Maternal Child Health Services in Nairobi County, Kenya

The prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms is higher in teenage perinatal girls compared to adult mothers. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors for depression and anxiety symptoms in perinatal teenage girls across a sectional study with a sample of 175 perinatal adolescent girls selected by purposive sampling. Beck’s Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) and Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were utilized, and Uni-ANOVA and T-test analyses were conducted. Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS (SPSS®) Version 28 software was used during data analysis. 70.9% of the participants had depression symptoms (BDI-II score range 14-63), while 33.7% had anxiety symptoms (BAI score range 8-63). Pregnant teenage girls had significantly higher depression scores compared to the postnatal girls at p = 0.002 and also higher anxiety levels in comparison to their postnatal counterparts (p = 0.005). The pregnant girls who had never given birth had higher anxiety scores compared to those who had previously given birth (p = 0.011). Participants with a history of sexual abuse had significantly higher depression and anxiety scores as compared to those who had not (p = 0.002). Underlying medical conditions indicated a higher risk for perinatal anxiety, while employment of a caregiver was a protective factor. The symptoms of depression and anxiety are relatively higher during pregnancy among perinatal teenage girls compared to those in the postnatal period. Factors associated with these two disorders are history of sexual abuse, underlying medical condition, first-time pregnancy and unemployment of the caregiver. The study recommends that the government through the Ministry of Health needs to mobilize comprehensive psycho-social support for perinatal girls to enable them to effectively cope with the challenges occasioned by early motherhood and prevent complications resulting from severe levels of anxiety and depression. There is a need for sensitization of stakeholders and community members about the challenges that perinatal teenage mothers go through and provide psychosocial support in adolescent-friendly facilities.