Mental health of adolescents associated with sexual and reproductive outcomes: a systematic review

Abstract

Objective To systematically review the literature on the mental health of adolescents associated with sexual and reproductive outcomes, and compare the mental health outcomes with that of other age groups. Methods We searched seven databases for relevant peer-reviewed articles published between 1 January 2010 and 25 April 2019. Our inclusion criteria required that the study included age-disaggregated data on adolescents, and focused and assessed mental health outcomes associated with pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. We extracted data on the specific health event, the mental health outcome and the method of measuring this, and comparisons with other age groups. Findings After initially screening 10 818 articles by title and abstract, we included 96 articles in our review. We observed that a wide-ranging prevalence of mental ill-health has been reported for adolescents. However, most studies of mental health during pregnancy did not identify an increased risk of depression or other mental disorders among adolescents compared with other age groups. In contrast, the majority of studies conducted during the postpartum period identified an increased risk of depression in adolescents compared with other age groups. Three studies reported on mental health outcomes following abortion, with varying results. We found no studies of the effect of sexually transmitted infections on mental health among adolescents. Conclusion We recommend that sexual and reproductive health services should be accessible to adolescents to address their needs and help to prevent any adverse mental health outcomes.

A Realist-Informed Review of Digital Empowerment Strategies for Adolescents to Improve Their Sexual and Reproductive Health and Well-being

“…We included mothers to capture sexual and reproductive health programmes that focus on pregnant teenagers and teen mothers. Finally, we included interventions focusing on mental health as adolescent well-being is also an important aspect of sexual and reproductive health in adolescents’ transition phase, for example in relation to sexual violence towards adolescents [ 32 ].…”

The Role of Emotion Regulation in Eating Disorders: A Network Meta-Analysis Approach

“…To be included in the review the studies were requires to meet the following inclusion criteria: (1) include a group of adults or adolescents [10–19 years old ( 19 )] with a diagnosis of an ED, (2) measure some aspect of emotion regulation, (3) measure ED symptomatology, (4) be published in English, and (5) be published in a peer reviewed journal. In the case of longitudinal or interventional studies, only emotion regulation and ED symptomatology measures taken at baseline or pre-treatment were included.…”

Depressive symptomatology in pregnant adolescents: considerations for care

“…Research indicates that receiving an abortion is not associated with increases in depressive symptomatology, whereas being denied an abortion is associated with higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of life satisfaction [30]. Additional research is needed to better understand the effects of restricted abortion access on the mental health of pregnant adolescents [31].…”

“…The EPDS was specifically developed to screen for depressive symptoms during pregnancy and the postpartum and is considered a ‘gold standard’ screening measure for this population. The EPDS has been used widely in studies of pregnant adolescents [31], validated within this population, and translated into 50 languages [37 ▪▪ ]. The EPDS is freely available and consists of 10 questions that ask respondents to report on depressive symptoms within the previous week.…”