Life course heterogeneity in the transition from adolescence to adulthood among adolescent mothers

Longitudinal data were used to examine pathways taken by 227 adolescent mothers during the transition from adolescence into adulthood. Latent profile analysis identified three sub-groups of adolescent mothers from 6 months to 6 years postpartum: a problem-prone profile (15%), a psychologically vulnerable profile (42%), and a normative profile (43%). Group membership was related to long-term adult outcomes (adult status markers, health-risk and deviant behaviors, substance use, mental health, and intimate relationships) when respondents were nearing age 30. The psychologically vulnerable group reported greater health and mental health problems, relational problems, and substance use than the normative profile group. Only the problem-prone profile group, taken together, reported serious problems in all domains of adult outcomes examined including financial, relational, behavioral, and health and mental health problems. Results confirm the existence of different pathways through adolescent parenthood that are associated with adult functioning 12 years postpartum.