ROBERT LETENDRE, PIERRE DORAY EXPERIENCE OF PREGNANCY IN ADOLESCENCE |
With the following three
questions in mind, 1 - Why do adolescents become pregnant ? 2 - What
is an adolescent’s subjective experience of her pregnancy ? and
3 - What function do pregnancy and the fetus play for the expectant
adolescent mother ?, the authors conducted semi-directed interviews
of 46 pregnant adolescents residing in metropolitan Montreal. Qualitative
analysis revealed three principal functions of adolescent pregnancy
: 1 - To repair the past and to have a better life ; 2 - To be adult
and autonomous, or ; 3 - To intensify dependence on the family circle.
Across these three independent groupings, notable psychological differences
were found in subjective representation of the expected baby, self-image,
lability, and the expectant mother’s relationships with her parents. |
Key-words Juvenile pregnancy, Qualitative research in Quebec. |