What is it about?
Nine mothers ( average age = 34.2 years), working full-time at home with an average of 2 children under 2 years of age, participated in a series of two unstructured, in-depth interviews to help uncover their perceived coping experiences, and what actors can upturn or facilitate outcomes. It is a unique study as it revealed how for the mothers in this study, coping includes efforts to manage stressful, challenging or difficult events, however is affected by lifestyle changes experienced since the birth of a child, generaldifficulty of the mothering role and social pressures to succeed in that role.
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Why is it important?
Much of the existing research on women’s mental health has not clarified the nature of the coping experience, nor taken a grounded theory approach using the participant’s own words and meanings to describe the experience. Most studies assess at-risk mothers or marginalised groups experiencing major life stressors or problems. This article is unique as it illuminates what factors can promote resilience and help mothers stay well and healthy.
Perspectives
Readers will gain a health promoting insight to mothers' health which is generally lacking in the coping literature. Interestingly, the longer you have been a mother, individual persistence, and understandingly, a supportive home context, or if you're fortuitous enough to encounter fewer stressors in the home setting, these were all nominated as conditions affecting mothers' perceptions of coping.
Dr Janet L Currie
University of Technology Sydney
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Conditions Affecting Perceived Coping for New Mothers: Analysis of a Pilot Study, Sydney, Australia, International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, August 2008, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/14623730.2008.9721767.
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