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Amy Sutherland, Psy.D., is a 2025 graduate of the Psy.D. Program in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, New England

Dissertation Committee:

Karen Meteyer, PhD, Chairperson

Rachel Chickerella, PhD, MS, LPC, Committee Member

Jennifer McLean, PsyD, EdM, Committee Member

Keywords

teenage pregnancy, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

While pregnancy during adolescence is declining, research on the topic continues, particularly regarding: the reasons teenagers become pregnant and choose parenthood; their experiences as teen parents; and near-term outcomes for themselves and their children. The focus of this dissertation has received little study: how the experience of having been a birthing parent in adolescence continues to affect the personal experiences of individuals in midlife, if it does at all. Eight individuals between the ages of 30 and 43 who gave birth as teens were interviewed, and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to identify how they interpreted and made meaning of their experiences. Nine themes emerged from the data regarding teen birthing parents: the necessity to mature early can lead to positive outcomes; parents and their children may carry labels; parents fall out of sync with their age-peers; shame and distress can lead to disconnection, sometimes followed by healing and rebuilding of connections; biological fathers continue to have an impact on the lives of parents through their children; immediate responses by the parents of teens to the pregnancy can have a lasting impact; parents may develop narrowed and pragmatic approaches to achieving their goals; parents may develop exceptionally close bonds with their children; family stressors can contribute to teen pregnancy, and pregnancy can in turn contribute to family stress. Contextual factors and outside stressors, such as adverse childhood events, race, religion, and socioeconomic status, were found to have affected participants’ experiences, both in becoming pregnant and in their lives moving forward. Although teen pregnancy is not a medically defined trauma, participants reported feeling traumatized, and also reported feelings, cognitions, and actions that suggest posttraumatic growth. Therapists may benefit clients who were teen parents, or their children, by providing trauma-informed care and assisting clients in identifying ways in which they were courageous and resourceful. This study suggests that today, both teen parents and their families could benefit from financial and emotional support, especially as laws change dramatically. Teen birthing parents can re-story the negative narratives they receive from the wider culture in a way that is empowering and affirming. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

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ORCID No.: 0009-0005-8818-4936

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