The support group impact on enhancing the self-worth of women who terminated a pregnancy in adolescence

Abstract

Background: Terminating a pregnancy can be a traumatic life event, resulting in negative emotions that can diminish women’s self- worth. Support from different sources, including health support groups, could be beneficial in restoring a woman’s self-worth. This article aimed to present findings on the impact of a support group intervention on the self-worth of women who terminated a pregnancy in  adolescence.

Methods: A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive approach, using in-depth, semi-structured interviews, was used to  collect data. Thematic analysis guided the data analysis.

Results: Five themes emerged from the data: reasons for joining the support  group; enhanced emotional and physical wellbeing; self-forgiveness; spiritual growth and participants’ voices.

Conclusion: Participants  described why they needed to join the support group. It became clear that the intercession was effective in the short term as it enhanced  participants’ selfworth by encouraging them to accept themselves thereby altering their self-condemning emotions, replacing them with  self-love.

Contribution: The study recommends that a support group should be considered as a backup for women who terminated a  pregnancy and have lost their self-worth.