Effects of psychosocial support-based psychoeducation for Turkish pregnant adolescents on anxiety, depression and perceived social support: a randomized controlled study

Introduction: Psychosocial Support-Based (PSSB) psychoeducation program was provided for improving the mental health of pregnant adolescents and providing them with behavioral changes in a positive direction. This paper aims to determine the effect of PSSB Psychoeducation provided for Turkish pregnant adolescents on anxiety, depression and perceived social support.
Methods: This study was conducted with a pretest-posttest randomized controlled design. The population of the study included pregnant adolescents presenting to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Outpatient Clinic of a state hospital located in eastern Turkey. The sample size was determined using power analysis, and the sample included 105 pregnant adolescents (experimental group n=50, control group=55). The participants in the experimental group were given PSSB Psychoeducation. The control group did not receive any intervention. The data were collected using an Introductory Characteristics Form, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The SPSS 24.0 statistical program was used to analyze the data, and p-values of <0.05 were accepted as statistically significant.
Results: It was established that there was a significant decrease in the anxiety and depression levels and a significant increase in the perceived social support levels in the experimental group in comparison to the control group after the PSSB Psychoeducation intervention (p%u02C20.05). In the intragroup comparisons, the difference between the pretest and posttest scores for anxiety, depression and perceived social support was statistically significant in the experimental group (p%u02C20.05), whereas this difference was insignificant in the control group (p%u02C30.05).
Conclusion: The PSSB Psychoeducation program reduced the anxiety and depression and increased perceived social support levels of the pregnant adolescents. PSSB Psychoeducation program is a useful practical intervention for mental health of pregnant adolescents. Thus, we recommend that psychiatric nurses take an active role in planning and implementing psychosocial interventions for adolescent pregnant women and develop culture-specific interventions.