*WHAT GENERATES STIGMA,STRESS AND DEPRESSION TO TEENAGE MOTHERS.*
*1.Social stereotypes*
Most of them worry too much due to isolation by their friends who brand them useless and bad examples,family members abuses and their classmate's disrespect. This makes them to feel lonely all the time and they live a stressful lifestyle.
*2.Lack of emotional support.*
Most of them over their pregnancy period attempt abortion and if it doesn't work out,they feel as if they have committed one of the biggest sin here on earth.some men deny that they never impregnated them and this is the beginning of emotional breakdown. They usually feel traumatized and self isolated thus making them to become depressed and stigmatized
*3.Poor health care access*
Some teenage girls keep their pregnancy secretly thus avoiding clinics and give birth to underweight infants who have health issues.
In extreme cases they tie their stomachs tight with belts and ropes exerting a lot of pressure to the growing foetus in their stomachs.When they give birth to a baby who has complications like a baby who only grows the head ,they are stressed up and stigmatized.
*4.Difficult in adjusting to become a mother*
Most of them do not have knowledge of caregivers.they don't even know the diet taken by expectant and lactating mother's.They grow weak due to lack of basic needs like balanced diets.
This gives them stress and stigma.
*5.Financial challenges*
Most of the teen mothers do not have money to even go for clinic and medical check ups during pregnancy and after giving birth.
*6.Low marriage networks*
Most of them end up being single mothers who strain a lot to bring up their baby especially those who divorced and suffered neglect from the men who impregnated them and denied their pregnancy.Even to get married with a baby is a challenge which force them to become depressed and stigmatized.
*7.Difficult to proceed to your future*
Most of them drop out of school and feel shameful to go back to proceed academically.They worry about bringing up their children single handedly.some end up employed to take care of their young babies which gives them pressure to become depressed and stigmatized.
8.Lack of mentors who can guide them accordingly.
9.Lack of parental care and love from the family members who treat them as outcasts.
By cosmas Mbolu.
Author and the Managing director of superscholar publishers limited.
