Fighting and depression among poor pregnant adolescents

Abstract

The aim of this study was to learn about the fighting behaviour of an inner city population of adolescent girls before and after becoming pregnant. A sample of 40 pregnant and parenting participants responded to a questionnaire providing information about their fighting behaviour, domestic status and level of depressive symptoms on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Results show a significant decrease in the number of physical fights reported since becoming pregnant as compared with the number of fights the year before pregnancy, though participants still reported having the urge to fight. The year before pregnancy, there were significant demographic and domestic status differences between those who engaged in physical fights and those who did not. After becoming pregnant, these group differences disappeared. Of the participants who fought the year before pregnancy, the only factor that differentiated those who continued to fight during pregnancy from those who did not were their elevated levels of depression on the BDI. The findings suggest that with the onset of pregnancy, teenage girls may reduce their physical fighting behaviour; however, depression may impede the impact of pregnancy on fighting behaviour.