Challenges of adolescent parenting; Psychological interventions in a primary care setting

In recent decades, though a significant decline has been observed in rates of teen pregnancy, adolescent pregnancy continues to account for more than 10% of births globally. The vast majority of these births to adolescent parents occur in low or middle-income countries. In particular, Sub- Saharan Africa and Mexico are found to have the highest rates of births to teen mothers. Interestingly, amongst more developed nations, the United States has the highest reported rates of live births by adolescent mothers. There is a trifecta of social, cultural and economic circumstances that influence pregnancy rates in the adolescent population, and these rates vary widely across countries as well as within countries and socioeconomic strata. Though cultural expectations on pregnancy may vary from one culture to another, multiple implications exist for those entering parenthood during their adolescent years, as well as for their children. This presentation aims to provide an overview of adolescent pregnancy and parenting taking a global perspective, while highlight the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to care when addressing teen parenting and its manifestations and predictors of risk.