Adolescent Mothers & Their Babies’ Fathers: Predictors of Paternal Involvement and Coparenting Christina B. Gee, Ph.D. Psychology Department

Adolescent Mother and the Fathers of Their Children U.S. has the highest adolescent birth rate among Western industrialized countries > 400,000 infants born to teens each year; 17% of 15-year-old girls give birth before 20 50% of fathers have no contact with adolescent mother at 8 months postpartum Child support decreases (80% 1 st yr after delivery; 1/3 after 4 yrs; 1/6 after 6 years)

Research Agenda Examine impact of social support for adolescent mothers’ psychological adjustment – Siblings, Partners/Fathers, Maternal grandmothers Examine predictors of father involvement – Father’s involvement during pregnancy and early postpartum – Relationship quality between parents – Maternal grandmothers support – Involvement with a new male partner Examine the development of coparenting processes during first postpartum year

Current Research NIMH K-01, Participants: African American and Latino adolescent mothers and fathers in DC metro area Inclusion criteria: African American or Latino/a; English or Spanish speaking; Mothers ages 13-19, pregnant with first child Procedure: One-on-one interviews in 3 rd trimester, 6 months postpartum, 1 year postpartum Measures – Father Involvement and Coparenting – Adolescent mother and fathers’ relationship quality – Social support from baby’s maternal and paternal grandparents – Racial identity and acculturation – Parenting Stress – Psychopathology (i.e., depression, anxiety, substance abuse) Status: Currently collecting data at community sites