The purpose of this study has focused on deeply understanding their voice in the perspective of motherhood experience of women with mental disorders. This study revealed motherhood experience of women with mental disorders under socio-cultural context...
The purpose of this study has focused on deeply understanding their voice in the perspective of motherhood experience of women with mental disorders. This study revealed motherhood experience of women with mental disorders under socio-cultural context and meaning to the motherhood experience. For achieving the purpose of this study, it has been arisen research question that is "how is the essence of motherhood experience of women with mental disorders and meaning of it".
For that, researcher of this study was applied for qualitative research method for describing motherhood experience with vivid experiencing as well as not separating from the real live field of participants. Phenomenology method that can be expressed meaning of individual experience toward a concept or idea and reflected these itself in the socio-cultural context has been attempted. Especially, researcher of this study was examined based on phenomenological research method introduced by Giorgi.
Participants between age of 30 and 40 of this study has examined diagnosis that are schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder and used community mental health centers in Dae-Jean. Because it using criterion sampling methods, women with mental disorders were recruited, who were able to lively communicate with this researcher. The ages of children range from 7 to 15.
The data collection was from July of 2006 to feb of 2007. In the beginning , participant were 10 persons but 4 persons dropped out in this study. The data collection method was transferred from unstructured-deep interview to semi-structured interview. Also participants writing such as letter, essay, telephone interview has been used, in fact it has confirmed real value. The frequency of interview has been conducted until not coming out new data, it has been minimum 3 to 5 times and length of interview has been between 90 and 120 mins. Before the interviews, the interviewer explained the purpose of the study to this participants and obtained the written informed consents from participants.
The study has derived 496 core meanings about motherhood experience that described by interview and made up free-imaginative variation. And It made to narrow down 91 meanings, it has categorized 8 structure factor including 26 sub-categories.
According to wholistic context, it and derived and examined meaning of its subordinate themes that are found as the research was following.
<The process of marrage and giving a birth(involving with leading)> : Women with mental disorders decided a marriage itself in order to escaped from isolation of family and society. However, marriage to them was adapting decision to match with condition and circumstances in the reality rather than their ideal expectation. As getting social status through marriage and giving birth, they included normal life category and found possibility of stability and eternity. Also, due to pregnancy they has quieted medication for baby's health, it brought up physical and mental difficulties, especially fear of giving birth stressed on psychological stress.
<Relapsing and sacrifice of family(drawing confusions)> : Although enjoying pleasure and achievement from giving a birth, it happened to them danger of relapsing after giving birth due to lack of supporting system and insufficient information of after giving birth situation. Women with mental disorders who has suffering from worse symptom has economic and psychological stress to husband and children and psychological withdraw and guilty regardless of children' adaption. Moreover, evaluation of failure parenting has effected motherhood identity that has been settled down stable.
<Tension from roles and burden(Living with suffering and taking it)> : Giving and parenting happened almost at same time to mom, roles that has done and being piled one on another has risks to break up the balance of role plays. Parenting and housing was getting harder and harder, this has decreased efficiency and confidence. Also, the extension of family member brought up various need and caused conflict, therefore, inter - communication problems came up. Especially, extended-family includes supporting as well as conflict.
<Sigma and difficulty of communication(Standing against cold wall)> : They has difficulties with communication of other for building and maintaining relationship with social sigma.
<Offering and demanding supporting system(an approach run)> : Through formal and informal supporting system, they overcome social stigma with gaining economic, psychological social supporting.
<Coping and Adapting(fight alone)> : Women with mental disorders have has difficult life, so they had self-regulation and independence ideal of parenting, more detail, 'raising more different and normal, compared to themselves', 'bring-up oneself'. In fact, they has suffer form multi-role and conflicts, in the same time, they tried to accomplished their parenting role more properly through motherhood and responsibility, that can be explained 'I'm raising kid up despite of being sick'. However social support has been helped, in fact it was thank to adapting of role change according to children growing. Coping the mental illness family and their kid adjust inter-family roles. Moreover, their children charged mom's medication and examination and protected mom.
<The recognition of being a motherhood(firm supporting building)> : Most participants has taken a motherhood ideology that indicates 'mother must bring up their children'. Thus they followed parenting according to 'social norm about being a good mother'. This being a mother can help to overcome confusion and difficulty.
<Social stability and self-extension(Going out into the world)> : Conducting mothering offered relief and achievement. Also growing and security of children guaranteed social status and permission, Women with mental disorders could find possibility of self-growing and walk into world through social stability and self-extension.
Through phenomenological research method, derived motherhood experience of women with mental disorders has not been focused on the mental health filed can be offered a good understanding about its character and need. Especially, as understanding of subjective experience of their mothering through motherhood experience of women with mental disorders in the strong tradition of patriarchism of this society having dual burden, social worker and experts can be increased empathy and sensitivity.
Also, the symptom of motherhood experience of women with mental disorders has been establishing negative effect into their children and pathological perspective as well as building positive self-identify , as looking for process of motivation growing and rehabilitation, this study could be helped specific intervention strategy in order to empower through strength perspective.