Association of pregnancy-related stigma and intimate partner violence with anxiety and depression among adolescents

Introduction: We explored the association between pregnancy-related stigma and intimate partner violence (IPV) with depression and anxiety among adolescents in Uganda. Methods: We interviewed a convenience sample of 100 adolescents (>18 years) who were pregnant (>3 months) or recently gave birth (<3 months) at Tororo District Hospital, Uganda. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were evaluated using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25), physical and sexual IPV were assessed using the WHO violence against women instrument, and pregnancy-related stigma was captured with a questionnaire. Regression models were used to evaluate associations of pregnancy stigma and IPV with depression and anxiety. Results: Mean age was 18 years, 84% were primiparous, 66% were married and 57% had only primary school-level education. About 48% women had clinically meaningful distress levels; 45% reported sexual IPV, 32% physical IPV, and 86% reported experiencing pregnancy-related stigma. Adjusted models showed that higher levels of depression and anxiety were associated with higher report of pregnancy-related stigma (β =.27, p =.03), physical IPV, (β = −.24, p <.01), or sexual IPV (β = −.19, p =.05), compared to those who did not. Unemployment (β = −.24, p =.01) and lower educational level (β = −.21, p =.05) were also independent predictors of depression and anxiety. Conclusion: Findings suggest that IPV is common among adolescents in Uganda, as is pregnancy-related stigma, and both are independent predictors of depression and anxiety. The implications of these findings and the need for clinical interventions for IPV among adolescents are discussed.