TY - JOUR PY - 2022// TI - Association of pregnancy-related stigma and intimate partner violence with anxiety and depression among adolescents JO - Journal of Adolescence A1 - Asiimwe, Ronald A1 - Tseng, Chi-Fang A1 - Murray, Sarah M. A1 - Ojuka, Julius C. A1 - Arima, Ethan G. A1 - Familiar-Lopez, Itziar SP - 270 EP - 275 VL - 94 IS - 2 N2 - INTRODUCTION: We explored the association between pregnancy-related stigma and intimate partner violence (IPV) with depression and anxiety among adolescents in Uganda.

METHODS: We interviewed a convenience sample of 100 adolescents (>18 years) who were pregnant (>3 months) or recently gave birth (<3 months) at Tororo District Hospital, Uganda. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were evaluated using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25), physical and sexual IPV were assessed using the WHO violence against women instrument, and pregnancy-related stigma was captured with a questionnaire. Regression models were used to evaluate associations of pregnancy stigma and IPV with depression and anxiety.

RESULTS: Mean age was 18 years, 84% were primiparous, 66% were married and 57% had only primary school-level education. About 48% women had clinically meaningful distress levels; 45% reported sexual IPV, 32% physical IPV, and 86% reported experiencing pregnancy-related stigma. Adjusted models showed that higher levels of depression and anxiety were associated with higher report of pregnancy-related stigma (β = .27, p = .03), physical IPV, (β = -.24, p < .01), or sexual IPV (β = -.19, p = .05), compared to those who did not. Unemployment (β = -.24, p = .01) and lower educational level (β = -.21, p = .05) were also independent predictors of depression and anxiety.

CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that IPV is common among adolescents in Uganda, as is pregnancy-related stigma, and both are independent predictors of depression and anxiety. The implications of these findings and the need for clinical interventions for IPV among adolescents are discussed.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0140-1971 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jad.12008 ID - ref1 ER -