Lasting Mental Health Consequences: Early Pregnancy and Unfulfilled Educational Expectations Among Black and White Women

• In Event: 569 - Regular Session. Stratification and Mental Health

Abstract

Although research suggests that parenthood at a young age is associated with higher levels of psychological distress, less is known about the long-term psychological impact of early pregnancy and the potential intervening mechanisms that may help explain why early pregnancy, separate from the effect of parenthood, is distressing. Using survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 2,300), this study not only shows that early pregnancy has a long-term negative effect on mental health but also reveals that unfulfilled educational expectations help explain this negative impact among whites, but not among blacks. Policy implications involving better awareness of the stress of early pregnancy and striving to meet expectations for educational attainment during the transition to adulthood are discussed.

Author

• Noreen Kohl, University of Hawaii Manoa