Adolescent Mothers & Their Babies’ Fathers: Predictors of Paternal Involvement and Coparenting

Christina B. Gee, Ph.D.Psychology Departmenthttp://home.gwu.edu/~cgee

cgee@gwu.edu

202-994-7683

Adolescent Mother and the Fathers of Their Children

U.S. has the highest adolescent birth rate among Western industrialized countries

> 400,000 infants born to teens each year; 17% of 15-year-old girls give birth before 20

50% of fathers have no contact with adolescent mother at 8 months postpartum

Child support decreases (80% 1st yr after delivery; 1/3 after 4 yrs; 1/6 after 6 years)

Research Agenda

Examine impact of social support for adolescent mothers’ psychological adjustment

– Siblings, Partners/Fathers, Maternal grandmothers Examine predictors of father involvement

– Father’s involvement during pregnancy and early postpartum

– Relationship quality between parents– Maternal grandmothers support– Involvement with a new male partner

Examine the development of coparenting processes during first postpartum year

Current Research NIMH K-01, 2004-2009

Participants: African American and Latino adolescent mothers and fathers in DC metro area

Inclusion criteria: African American or Latino/a; English or Spanish speaking; Mothers ages 13-19, pregnant with first child

Procedure: One-on-one interviews in 3rd trimester, 6 months postpartum, 1 year postpartum

Measures– Father Involvement and Coparenting– Adolescent mother and fathers’ relationship quality – Social support from baby’s maternal and paternal grandparents– Racial identity and acculturation– Parenting Stress– Psychopathology (i.e., depression, anxiety, substance abuse)

Status: Currently collecting data at community sites