Exploring perspectives of adolescent mothers on the support needed to mitigate their psychosocial challenges within a district in Lesotho

Abstract

Background: Lesotho experiences a high rate of adolescent pregnancies, resulting in a significant number of adolescent mothers. The literature indicates that adolescent mothers need support as they face numerous psychosocial challenges, such as depression and stigmatisation. However, there is limited evidence on the perspectives of adolescent mothers regarding the support required to mitigate their psychosocial challenges in Qacha’s Nek district, Lesotho. Aim: To explore and describe the adolescent mothers’ perspectives on the support needed to mitigate their psychosocial challenges in Qacha’s Nek district, Lesotho. Setting: This study was conducted at three selected health facilities in Qacha’s Nek district, Lesotho. Methods: An exploratory, descriptive, contextual, qualitative design was employed. Fifteen adolescent mothers were selected using purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, which was analysed through thematic analysis. Results: The study identified four themes: psychological support, social support, practical support needed by adolescent mothers, and the benefits of psychosocial support for adolescent mothers. The support needed included strengthening family involvement, financial aid, occupational and counselling support, among others, which are important for reducing depression, meeting daily needs and alleviating other psychosocial challenges of adolescent mothers. Conclusion: Overall, this study illustrated that adolescent mothers face a lot of psychosocial challenges daily. The findings suggested that they need psychological, social and practical support to address those challenges, which may ultimately improve their well-being together with their children. Contribution: This study offers critical insights, directly from adolescent mothers themselves, into the psychosocial support they require. It identifies the gaps in family support and community-based psychosocial care within the district. It also offers practical guidance to district health managers and other stakeholders to strengthen existing support structures such as the integration of mental health services that respond directly to the expressed needs of adolescent mothers.