By Job Okoth
Experts have called for stronger integration of mental health services into sexual and reproductive health programs targeting pregnant and parenting adolescents.
The call came during a virtual panel discussion hosted by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), which brought together researchers, practitioners, and youth advocates across the region.
Speakers noted that adolescent parents face multiple vulnerabilities — stigma, interrupted education, and high risk of depression and anxiety — yet support systems remain weak and fragmented.
Sibusisiwe Marunda, Country Director for REPSSI Zimbabwe, said young mothers often carry the burden alone while fathers escape accountability. “When a girl falls pregnant, the burden often falls on her alone,” she said. “Families, schools, and churches must move from condemnation to care.”
She urged faith and community institutions to replace judgement with empathy and called for men’s involvement in parenting to reduce stigma and strengthen mental health outcomes.
Professor Govender, a behavioural scientist and Director of the Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research Division (HEARD) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, linked persistent stigma to policy failure. “If discriminatory norms persist, policies will not translate into effective support for adolescent parents,” he said.
He called for policies that treat the mother, father, and infant as one unit, embedding psychosocial screening within antenatal and postnatal care. He also pointed to country initiatives that show promise but warned of weak coordination and scale-up challenges.
Govender said governments must strengthen referral systems between clinics and community-based psychosocial support centers to close the gaps that leave young mothers behind.
Mercy Nzuki, founder of the Divine Initiative Psychology and Counselling Organisation (DIPCO), said digital innovation can help bridge those gaps. “There is no health without mental health,” she said. “Not every adolescent needs a specialist — many need information, peer support, or a safe space to ask for help. Digital spaces can provide that at scale.”
She cited growing use of mental health apps and helplines such as Apollo and the Kenya Red Cross toll-free line that offer free, multilingual counselling services. Nzuki called for an “integrated digital ecosystem” that connects online tools to professional support and clinical referrals.
She also urged developers and governments to adopt low-tech solutions such as SMS and USSD codes to reach adolescents with limited access to smartphones or the internet.
Dr Anthony Ajayi, Senior Research Scientist at APHRC, said evidence-based programming is key. “We need data to know what works,” he said. “Research must identify which interventions actually improve mental health, education, and livelihoods among adolescent parents.”
Ajayi urged donors to fund comprehensive programs that combine counselling, family involvement, schooling, and income support, rather than stand-alone interventions.
Panelists agreed that underfunding remains a major obstacle. They called for increased budget allocation for adolescent mental health, stronger inter-sectoral coordination, and youth participation in designing solutions.
“Young people must be at the table when policies that affect them are written,” Govender emphasized.
Speakers concluded that technology alone cannot erase stigma but can serve as a powerful connector — linking adolescents to care, information, and community support.
They urged policymakers to integrate mental health screening into maternal and adolescent health services, train more community-based counsellors, and invest in credible digital platforms linked to referral systems.
The APHRC discussion closed with a clear message: addressing adolescent parents’ mental health requires shifting norms, better funding, and practical use of technology. Without coordinated action, millions of young parents risk remaining invisible to the systems meant to protect them.
