A descriptive study of the psychosocial emotional stressors that affect role performance among unwed African American teenage mothers

• Main Author: Simington, Arlene Y.
• Format: Others
• Published: DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center 1996
• Subjects: Social Work
• Online Access: http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/2554; http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4519&context=dissertations

This study, a needs assessment, had the purpose of examining the psychosocial emotional stressors that affect unwed teenage mothers. The sample for this study consisted of thirty-two African American unwed teenage mothers. The sample was drawn from a population of teenage mothers attending Harper-Archer and Carver High Schools participating in an after-school program sponsored by the Department of Family and Children Services. An instrument consisting of twenty psychosocial stressor questions and five demographic questions was utilized. The survey method consisted of a self-administered questionnaire that was distributed during a teen parent meeting. The results were analyzed utilizing frequency distributions, means, standard deviations and Pearson's 'r' Correlation Coefficient. The findings of the study revealed: 1) That support from family and social contact with other teenage mothers positively influences role performance. 2) There is a correlation between feeling that someone understood and role performance and, 3) Depression appears to negatively affect role performance among teenage mothers.