O-29 Intimate partner violence and psychosocial loss during adolescent pregnancy in Jamaica and associations with adolescents’ mental health

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which 100 pregnant or parenting females, age 14-18 years, were recruited from seven sites connected to a national programme on adolescent pregnancy. A study questionnaire consisting of demographic, sexual and reproductive data, perceived pregnancy-related losses, intimate partner violence before and during pregnancy, self-harm ideation, and resilient behaviour was interviewer-administered between November 2020 and March 2021. Bivariate analyses and regression models were applied to the data.

Results: Losing the support of parents was associated with a higher probability of emotional abuse by an intimate partner (73% vs 27%, p<.0005). Partner violence experienced before pregnancy increased the chance of violence during pregnancy (p<.001) and violence exposure was associated with self-harm ideation (p<.05). More than half of the sample reported at least five psychosocial losses arising from the pregnancy but being in a relationship with the father of their baby (FOB) was associated with lower mean overall loss scores (M=4.64, SD= 1.82) compared to those who had no contact with their FOB (M=5.92, SD= 1.99), p<.05, η2= .07. Resilience was moderately related to total loss experiences for the adolescent (β = -.069 ± .034, p< .05).

Conclusion: The findings suggest an interrelatedness between loss and violence and the influence of these adverse events on the mental health of pregnant and parenting adolescents, which are often unrecognised. We highlight the relevance of monitoring mental health needs in adolescent reproductive health care services.