The Parenting Experience of Low-Income Single Women with Serious Mental Disorders

Abstract

The author describes an exploratory, qualitative research study focusing on 10 single, low-income mothers with chronic mental illness who lived with their children in a supportive residential program. The mothers were interviewed and observed at the child-care center associated with the program. In addition, a comparison group of eight low-income, single mothers whose children attended a community day-care center were interviewed. The two groups of mothers viewed their children as central to their lives. Both groups of spoke of struggles. The mentally ill mothers’ struggles pertained to maintaining custody, whereas the non-mentally ill mothers focused on economic survival. Overwhelmingly, the mothers with mental illness wanted to live normal lives as mothers, wives, and workers.

A Comparison of Mothers with Co-occurring Disorders and Histories of Violence Living with or Separated from Minor Children

“…2,5,15,17,18 Similar themes emerge in both the mental illness and substance abuse literatures, underscoring common issues for mothers with mental illness or substance use disorders, and suggesting a convergence of issues for women with co-occurring disorders. Motherhood is frequently seen by women with mental illness or who abuse substances as a Bnormalizing^experience, one that connects them with others, and provides a specific role and purpose.…”

“…Motherhood is frequently seen by women with mental illness or who abuse substances as a Bnormalizing^experience, one that connects them with others, and provides a specific role and purpose. 15,[18][19][20] Children may be a source of hope for the future. Women's attachments to their children may motivate them to seek help and participate in treatment.…”

“…72 In addition, the stigma associated with mental illness and substance abuse and, in particular, the negative attitudes of family members and providers regarding the desire or efforts of women with these issues to parent, may contribute to mothers not asking for help with parenting, not seeking treatment, and saying little about their families while in treatment. 1,17,18,32 Mothers identify additional reasons they refrain from seeking treatment, including the following: beliefs that they must put the needs of their children first and that drugs enhance their ability to cope with parenting; denial or minimization of the impact of their illness on family functioning; the lack of gender-specific treatment options particularly for mothers with their children; the threat of legal intervention; the belief that they are Bterrible^people and Bbad^mothers; and the need to avoid confronting their pervasive feelings of guilt about perceived failures. 3,17,67,83,84 It is not clear whether mothers Bcoerced^into treatment by child welfare professionals or others by the threat of removal of children or termination of parental rights, are motivated to participate more fully and derive greater benefit from services, or are disempowered by fear, anxiety, and feelings of failure and, hence, derive less benefit if relevant, effective treatment is even available.…”

Relationship Between Positive Self-Recognition of Maternal Role and Psychosocial Factors in Japanese Mothers with Severe Mental Illness

“…In fact, recent studies on mothers with mental illness have placed less emphasis on pathologies and deficits and greater emphasis on the mothers' voices and experiences. In qualitative studies, most mothers with serious mental illness describe motherhood as rewarding and central to their lives, as a source of enhanced personal worth and feelings of accomplishment that can provide motivation for treatment and recovery (Sands 1995;Mowbray et al 1995;Nicholson et al 1998;Bassett et al 1999;Mowbray et al 2001;Diaz-Caneja and Johnson 2004). Furthermore, Oyserman et al (2004) explored ''parenting self-construal'' among mothers with serious mental illness.…”

“…Furthermore, research found that women with mental illness tended to have high separation and divorce rates (Test and Berlin 1981;Nicholson et al 1999). Fearful of losing custody, the mothers were reluctant to disclose parenting difficulties to professionals and shied away from seeking professional support (Sands 1995;Diaz-Caneja and Johnson 2004); as a result, the mothers became increasingly isolated. In addition, the present study examines the mothers' confidence in their ability to perform self-care in their psychosocial environment.…”