Psychosocial resilience of unmarried pregnant adolescents: a study at shelter home in Perlis

Unmarried pregnant adolescent (UPA) is a worldwide phenomenon. This issue is a concern to Malaysian and its impact the lives of the adolescents involved. However, a comprehensive study on the psychosocial resilience of UPAs is still limited. Thus, this study was conducted to understand the psychosocial resilience experienced by UPAs during pregnancy and after childbirth while staying at the women’s shelter in exploring; (i) the capabilities of UPAs in overcoming their psychosocial difficulties, and (ii) the attitudes of UPAs towards the psychosocial difficulties. This study used a case study approach conducted at the Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Amal Rumah Teduh Perlis. The participants consisted of four UPAs aged between 14 to 18 years, selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered from two phases of semistructured interviews, field notes, and participants’ personal files. Thematic analysis was used to analyse all the collected data. Four themes were identified: (i) ongoing support from parents, (ii) support from other family members and a close friend, (iii) good relationships with a caretaker and other residents, and (iv) a determination to be a better person. The experience of unmarried pregnancy has left a psychosocial effect on the participants. It showed that ongoing strong social support helps participants maintain their psychosocial resilience throughout pregnancy and after childbirth. Besides, it also helps the participants to change their attitudes and not to repeat their past mistakes. Each of them shows a different turning point and experienced positive emotions. The results of this study contribute to the knowledge of development of psychosocial resilience among UPAs. The findings can also be used as guidelines for government agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in providing and managing helping services to overcome the issues of UPAs’ psychosocial resilience and welfare.