Teen Mothers: When Stigma Trumps Compassion (and Research)

• By: Jean Wittenberg, MD The Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry
• July 18th, 2025
• adolescence, adversity, discrimination, healthcare, inequality, maternal mental health, pregnancy, social determinants of health, stigma, Summer 2025 Issue, support, teen motherhood
• 2913    0

Key points: Many teen mothers succeed but do so despite the stresses that stigma imposes on them. Stresses on both mothers and babies are associated with severe health consequences, sometimes affecting their entire lives. Healthcare providers are often experienced as stigmatizing by teen...

Prenatal Cannabis Exposure Associated With Mental Disorders in Children That Persist Into Early Adolescence

• By: | The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• February 28th, 2024
• adolescence, attention problems, behavioral problems, mental health disorders, social problems, substance use
• 2056    0

Prenatal cannabis exposure following the middle of the first trimester – generally after five to six weeks of fetal development – is associated with attention, social, and behavioral problems that persist as the affected children progress into early adolescence (11 and 12 years of age),...

LGBTQ Parenting Issues

• By: Santo Barbagiovanni, LMSW Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS)
• October 1st, 2016
• adolescence, family support, identity development, LGBTQ+ youth, mental health, parents and caregivers, stigma, transgender youth
• 1858    0

Adolescence is a time for growth and exploration. In the best of circumstances, children are encountering new experiences, making new friends, pushing limits and testing boundaries, and withdrawing from family to be with friends during this time of rapid development. They are learning social skills...