Postpartum Depression in Adolescents | Unique Challenges and Interventions

Course overview

This learning activity examines postpartum depression (PPD) in adolescent mothers as a distinct clinical entity requiring specialized nursing assessment and intervention. Drawing on current guidelines from ACOG, AAP, and the USPSTF, the activity reviews the epidemiology of adolescent PPD, the developmental and psychosocial factors that shape its presentation, and the structural inequities that widen screening and treatment gaps. Evidence-based screening approaches, differential assessment, non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions, and the ethical dimensions of caring for minor patients are addressed with attention to cultural humility, trauma-informed practice, and the nurse's longitudinal role in supporting both mother and infant.