dc.description.abstract | Depression is the leading cause of disease burden in women of
reproductive age.1,2,3 The prevalence of depression is high
during the perinatal period, with worldwide estimates of 11-
18%.4,5,6 Depression during pregnancy is linked to multiple
adverse health outcomes for mothers and children.7,8,9 In
Kenya 26% of adolescents give birth before age 18.10 Pregnant
adolescents in East Africa report mental health problems,
difficulty in accessing financial, moral and material support from
parents or partners, and stigmatization by health workers when
seeking health care.11,12 Developing innovative and scalable
interventions to reduce the adverse consequences of
depression in pregnant adolescents, increase their engagement
in the health care system and help them build strong social
support networks is critically important. | en_US |