IntroductionAdolescence marks a transition of life from childhood to adulthood. Becoming a mother during adolescence presents unique challenges that have a significant mental and physical burden and may increase the likelihood of developing common mental disorders (CMDs). Untreated CMDs have serious effects on both the mother and her child. Culture constitutes an important context for most experiences, and affects how individuals seek help. However, there is limited research that has investigated how culture and social factors influence the adolescent mother’s mental health during the postpartum period in Malawi.Methods/designA cross-sectional sequential mixed methods design will be carried out in four phases. Phase one will include the preparatory phase and scoping review. The second phase will comprise a survey with adolescent mothers. The sample for the survey consists of adolescent postpartum mothers aged 14–19 years (with infants of up to 6 months of age) who have the capacity to consent for the study. Phase three will be a qualitative study in which in-depth interviews and focus group discussions will be employed to collect data from health workers and informal healthcare providers in the community (eg, traditional healers, traditional birth attendants). The fourth phase will involve developing recommendations for policy and practiceEthics and disseminationThis study will provide an understanding of the impact of culture and social factors that influence adolescent mother’s mental health and well-being, including the identification of potential risk and protective factors. The findings will inform recommendations for an appropriate, culturally accepted spectrum of interventions, including universal, selective and indicated prevention strategies. The findings will be disseminated to stakeholders working in maternal health in Malawi. Ethical approval was received from the Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee (HRE2021-0223) and (P.05/21/575) Malawian Ethics Board National Committee on Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and Humanities.

In rural Malawi, adolescent mothers represent 31% of pregnancies. While some adolescent mothers experience motherhood as an exciting, positive, and affirming experience, for others, it may increase their risk of postnatal depression (PND). Social norms and culture contribute to adolescent mothers’ experiences and may influence their mental health. However, there is limited research around the prevalence of PND and its cultural influences among adolescent mothers. A cross-sectional survey was administered from 7th September 2021 to 31st March 2022. Three hundred and ninety-five adolescent postnatal mothers aged ≤19 were conveniently recruited at Mitundu hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to assess depression. A cutoff point of ≥ 10 was employed to categorize probable PND. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the predictors of depression. The mean age of participants was 17 (SD 1.157). and 43.6% (n = 172) presented with PND (EPDS scores ≥10). When all factors were considered in a binary logistic model, adolescents who had ever experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) were 13.6 times more likely to report PND after controlling for age and other predictors compared to those without an experience of IPV (aOR 13.6, p = 0.01, 95% CI 2.10–88.9). Participants whose families did not decide for them (regarding their care) were 2.3 times more likely to present with PND than those whose families decided for them (aOR 2.3 p = 0.03, 95% CI 1.04–5.2). Adolescent mothers who had interacted with their health worker were less likely to report PND than those who had no interaction with the health worker (aOR 0.4 P0.02, CI 0.17–0.67). Social and cultural factors can impact mental health of adolescent mothers. It is recommended that targeted and integrated interventions are developed, implemented. and evaluated. There is a need to improve policy and practice to better support adolescent mothers postnatally.