Peer-reviewed article
"They organized women who advised me": Adolescents' perceptions of Social and cultural influences on mental health during the postnatal period in Malawi: Qualitative study.
Tembo C, Portsmouth L, Burns S ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study explored how social and cultural factors influence mental health among adolescent mothers in rural Malawi during the postnatal period. Researchers interviewed 395 adolescent mothers and identified four key themes: health and mental health awareness, relationships, family support, and rite of passage. The study found that mental health outcomes were shaped by interactions at multiple levels of influence—individual, family, community, and societal. The findings highlight the need for culturally appropriate mental health interventions and policies addressing early marriage prevention and family support.
Key points
- Four main themes explain social and cultural influences on adolescent mothers' mental health: health and mental health awareness, relationships, family support, and rite of passage
- Mental health was influenced by interactions across all levels of the Social Ecological Model of Health
- Study collected data from 395 adolescent mothers using a descriptive qualitative design with reflexive thematic analysis
- Recommendations include prevention of early marriages, improved access to reproductive health services, and healthcare systems offering accessible mental health support
- Family involvement in maternal care emerged as a critical factor for mental health during the postnatal period
Limitations
As a qualitative descriptive study with a convenience sample, the findings cannot be generalized beyond rural Malawi and do not establish causal relationships. The study explores perceived influences but does not evaluate the effectiveness of any specific intervention.
Abstract
The postnatal period is a critical transition period for first-time mothers, especially adolescents. An indication of maladaptation with this transition is the experience of poor mental health by some adolescent mothers. Social and collective cultural factors have been claimed to influence maternal mental health during the postnatal period; however, there is limited research focusing on cultural and social factors that influence adolescents' mental health during the postnatal period in rural Malawi. Therefore, we explored the perceived cultural and social factors that influence mental health among adolescent mothers during the postnatal period in rural Malawi. A descriptive qualitative design (DQ) was employed. Data were collected from September 7th, 2021, to March 31st, 2022, from a convenience sample of 395 adolescent mothers. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed using open coding. Codes were grouped into categories and themes derived using inductive thinking. Adolescent mothers' mental health was found to be influenced by interactions between social and cultural factors within all levels of the Social Ecological Model of Health (SEM). Four main themes, health and mental health awareness, relationships, family support, and rite of passage, explained social and cultural influences for adolescent mothers in Malawi. There is a need for collaborative, coordinated, and co-designed efforts to implement integrated, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate interventions at each level of SEM influence to promote adolescent' mothers' mental health. Specifically, policies should focus on the prevention of early marriages, improved access to reproductive health services, and long-term interventions to promote family involvement in the care of mothers. Healthcare systems should offer accessible mental health support for adolescent mothers.