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BMC Psychiatry
Published in: BMC Psychiatry 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Research article

What roles do male partners play in the mothering experiences of women living with mental illness? A qualitative secondary analysis

Authors: Emily Beard, Anne Honey, Nicola Hancock, Ruby Awram, Melissa Miceli, Rachel Mayes

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Mothers who live with mental illness face diverse challenges. Research suggests that partner support or otherwise is likely to have a crucial influence on mothers’ abilities to manage these challenges, yet little is known about how this plays out. In this study, we aimed to explore the roles played by male partners in the mothering experiences of women living with mental illness.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative secondary analysis using interview data collected from 18 participants in two previous qualitative studies. Both studies focused on the mothering experiences of women who lived with mental illness. In both studies, the importance of male partners was striking. The data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis.

Results

The roles of partners in women’s experiences of mothering were multiple and dynamic, with each male partner playing a unique combination of roles. These included: facilitator; teammate; unfulfilled potential; distraction; dismantler, and threat to child. Roles were influenced by: mothers’ interpretations; partners' behaviors, characteristics and circumstances; the family’s living and custody arrangements; mothers’ active management strategies; and a range of external controls and supports.

Conclusions

Health professionals need to consider the complex roles partners play. This crucial aspect of mothers’ social environments can be optimized by directly supporting and enabling partners themselves, and by supporting mothers to actively shape their partners’ roles.
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Metadata
Title
What roles do male partners play in the mothering experiences of women living with mental illness? A qualitative secondary analysis
Authors
Emily Beard
Anne Honey
Nicola Hancock
Ruby Awram
Melissa Miceli
Rachel Mayes
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-019-2209-1

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