Ryan J. Van Lieshout, MD, PhD Mental health issues can be daunting for any individual, especially young mothers.
A team led by Ryan J. Van Lieshout, MD, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at McMaster University, compared the #mentalhealth outcomes of young mothers to both older mothers and teenage women who are without children.
The Young Mothers Health Study included 450 mothers younger than 21 and 100 comparison mothers older than 30 years old at their first delivery living in urban and rural central-west Ontario.
The investigators compared the age-matched young mothers with 15-17 year old #women without children (n = 630) from the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study.
#JamesDonaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
The team assessed the prevalence of current #mental disorders using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents.
The investigators found that almost 2 out of every 3 young mother reported at least 1 #mentalhealth problem, with almost 40% of the study population having more than 1 #mentalhealth disorder.
Young mothers were 2-4 times as likely to have an #anxiety disorder, such as generalized #anxiety disorder, separation #anxiety disorder, social phobia, and specific phobia, as well as ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, or conduct disorder. They were also 2-4 times more likely to have more than 1 psychiatric problem when compared to the older control group of mothers or the women between 15-17 years old.
“Given the high rates of #mentalhealth problems and complex needs of young mothers in Canada and the possible adverse effects of maternal psychopathology on their children, further efforts should be directed at engaging and treating this high-risk group,” the authors wrote.
In 2019, a meta-analysis found that in-utero and perinatal circumstances might increase the risk of suicide throughout a person’s life.
While causes of increased suicide risk have been studied extensively in the past, this was the first meta-analysis to aggregate data specifically regarding in-utero and perinatal associations with suicide risk.
Circumstances which proved statistically relevant to increased suicide risk included, high birth order (fourth-born or later), teenage mothers, single mothers, low maternal and/or paternal education, and low birthweight and/or size.
On the other hand, father’s age, low gestational age, obstetric characteristics (such as caesarean section), and exposure to a condition during pregnancy (such as maternal smoking or hypertensive disease) were proven negligible to the point of irrelevance regarding #suicide risk.
In an interview with HCPLive®, study author Massimiliano Orri, PhD, of the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University—said that children born below 2500 g or born to low-educated parents were 30% more likely to die by #suicide. Additionally, children of teenage #mothers were about 80% more likely to die by #suicide.
Many young #mothers face multiple adversities that increase their risk of #mentalillnesses. However, prevalence data is often limited to self-report questionnaires estimating only the prevalence of postpartum #depression.
By gaining a better understanding of the burden of a broader range of common #mentalillnesses affecting young mothers, investigators can improve their health, as well as the development and functioning of the offspring.
The study, “The #MentalHealth of Young Canadian Mothers,” was published online in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
