Narratives About Their Children by Mothers Hospitalized on a Psychiatric Unit

The diagnosis of "mental illness" is accompanied by negative implications regarding a person's competence. Self- and other-descriptions about the "patient" are embedded within broader cultural and societal discourses, influencing his/her relationships. The parental role seems to be one of the most sensitive, especially for women. Mothers hospitalized in psychiatric units often have to separate themselves from their children either temporarily, during hospitalization, or permanently, after a loss of custody. However, many studies have shown that mothering remains important for them. We interviewed 20 women, inpatients on a psychiatric unit and mothers of 3.5-18-year-old children, recording their narratives about their children and exploring their thoughts and understanding of the concepts of motherhood and mental illness. We also explored the way in which the mother-child dyad interacted with the family and its social context. Most mothers had a consistent and coherent narrative about their children and they had certain expectations of them. The mother-child bond was strong, even when the children had been removed from their mothers' custody. However, mothers were facing great difficulties with their partner and with the broader family context. Also, the social discourses regarding mental illness, (e.g., violence and incapability for mothering), were extremely oppressive for these women. They felt that they were the victims of societal attitudes even before they became pregnant. These findings suggest the importance of listening to the voices of these women; acknowledging their competence in the therapeutic context; involving them with their families, and in legal and social contexts; and in planning supportive programs for them.