When a Mother’s Love Is Not Enough: A Cross-Cultural Critical Review of Anxiety, Attachment, Maternal Ambivalence, Abandonment, and Infanticide

Silverio, Sergio A.; Wilkinson, Catherine; Fallon, Victoria; Bramante, Alessandra; Staneva, Aleksandra

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-45996-3_16

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 102 publications

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“…Overall, our findings highlight how minority ethnic women struggle with their own perceptions of what it means to become or to be a ‘good mother’, especially when in receipt of a mental health diagnosis [ 45 , 46 ]. Under our first theme ‘Expectations and Experiences of Womanhood as an Ethnic Minority’, we demonstrated that women’s perceptions are closely interlinked with their cultural beliefs and influences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This challenges the common view that women seek informal emotional support during the perinatal period from family and friends as a first resource, before they call upon more formal, professional, mental health support [ 53 ]. In our sample, many participants felt unable to disclose their mental health difficulties to their families or would minimise the extent of their struggles, out of fear of being dismissed and not being a ‘good enough’ mother or woman [ 46 ]. However, these findings do not negate the widely accepted importance of family and other social support as a protective factor in the perinatal period [ 54 ], as is evident from the findings under our third and final theme (Cultural Understanding, Empowerment, and Validation).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A qualitative study of minority ethnic women’s experiences of access to and engagement with perinatal mental health care

Pilav

Backer

Easter

et al. 2022

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

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Background Approximately one in five women will experience mental health difficulties in the perinatal period. However, for a large group of women, symptoms of adverse perinatal mental health remain undetected and untreated. This is even more so for women of ethnic minority background, who face a variety of barriers which prevents them from accessing appropriate perinatal mental health care. Aims To explore minority ethnic women’s experiences of access to and engagement with perinatal mental health care. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 women who had been diagnosed with perinatal mental health difficulties and who were supported in the community by a specialist perinatal mental health service in South London, United Kingdom. Women who self-identified as being from a minority ethnic group were purposefully selected. Data were transcribed verbatim, uploaded into NVivo for management and analysis, which was conducted using reflective thematic analysis. Results Three distinct overarching themes were identified, each with two or three subthemes: ‘Expectations and Experiences of Womanhood as an Ethnic Minority’ (Shame and Guilt in Motherhood; Women as Caregivers; Perceived to Be Strong and Often Dismissed), ‘Family and Community Influences’ (Blind Faith in the Medical Profession; Family and Community Beliefs about Mental Health and Care; Intergenerational Trauma and Family Dynamics) and ‘Cultural Understanding, Empowerment, and Validation’ (The Importance of Understanding Cultural Differences; The Power of Validation, Reassurance, and Support). Conclusion Women of ethnic minority background identified barriers to accessing and engaging with perinatal mental health support on an individual, familial, community and societal level. Perinatal mental health services should be aware ethnic minority women might present with mental health difficulties in different ways and embrace principles of cultural humility and co-production to fully meet these women’s perinatal mental health needs.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A qualitative study of minority ethnic women’s experiences of access to and engagement with perinatal mental health care

Pilav

Backer

Easter

et al. 2022

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

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“…Killing a defenceless child is universally unacceptable in civilised society, and it is even more detestable if death occurs at the hands of those who are supposed to protect them. Just as we still see various cultural barriers to accepting the potential for women to experience psychiatric issues after birth, it is even more difficult to accept any reason for why a mother would kill their child than the fact they must be ‘sick’ (Bramante, 2016; Silverio et al, 2021).…”

Section: Difficult Topicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensitive, Challenging, and Difficult Topics: Experiences and Practical Considerations for Qualitative Researchers

Silverio

Sheen

Bramante³

et al. 2022

International Journal of Qualitative Methods

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Qualitative researchers often engage in work addressing challenging, difficult, or sensitive topics and are consequently exposed to the participants’ narratives which may be emotionally charged, distressing, or compromising. These narratives occasionally rest heavy on a researcher’s conscience or may linger in the mind. Much literature has assessed how best to keep participants safe, but less attention has been given to how we keep researchers safe. We therefore document the following: (1) Our experiences of the issues presented by undertaking qualitative research involving challenging, difficult, or sensitive topics; and (2) Practical principles devised to overcome these issues, ensuring safety and wellbeing amongst researchers engaging in these types of qualitative research. We provide guidance for qualitative researchers of all levels of experience and expertise on how best to protect and support themselves, their colleagues, and other collaborating research staff, when undertaking qualitative research which might otherwise feel uncomfortable or overwhelming to tackle.

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“…This loss of sense of distinction is related to the concept of identity and "definition of self" which is "constructed by the force of the surrounding culture" (Mehrabi & Maleki, 2010, p.103). Silverio et al (2021) affirming the role of a mother's love as a psychological bond, mentioned that the modern time motherhood is beyond mere nourishment and protection which has increased a mother's stress level within the discourse of the good mother.…”

Section: Review Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

A Winnicottian Investigation on Krys Lee’s Characters’ Self-Fragmentation

Farivar

Sistani

2022

JCSLL

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The Present research paper attempts at investigating the concepts of ‘True self and false self’ in the female characters presented by Krys Lee. Despite the fact that much has been carried out theoretically and clinically on the subject of the mother-child relation, the literary works of the Asian writers, in terms of cultural, social, psychological and artistic subjects and issues, have received little attention. Apart from the ordinary meaning of self, Winnicott, one of the 20th century’s greatest psychoanalysts and thinkers, believes that it is a more complex term that plays a crucial role in demonstrating one’s mental and emotional status. The sense of self is developed in every individual from infancy through the relationship with the mother. The baby’s true self or false self depends on how a mother adapts to the baby’s needs and desires. This dependency is identified as good-enough mothering, and if it is a successful form of adaptation, the infant begins to believe in external reality leading to the ego or self-development. The selected female characters’ actions, reactions and relations in “Drifting House” are symptomatic of their insecure childhoods, and frustrating developments. Their split characters, denial of reality, some sort of aggression and the lack of trust in the environment could be the echo of their childhood’s failure in receiving adequate care and attention.

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When a Mother’s Love Is Not Enough: A Cross-Cultural Critical Review of Anxiety, Attachment, Maternal Ambivalence, Abandonment, and Infanticide

Cited by 7 publications

References 102 publications

A qualitative study of minority ethnic women’s experiences of access to and engagement with perinatal mental health care

A qualitative study of minority ethnic women’s experiences of access to and engagement with perinatal mental health care

Sensitive, Challenging, and Difficult Topics: Experiences and Practical Considerations for Qualitative Researchers

A Winnicottian Investigation on Krys Lee’s Characters’ Self-Fragmentation

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