Identity development of mothers with mental illness: Contribution and challenge of motherhood

Limited knowledge exists about the experience of mothers with serious mental illness in developing their maternal identity and the challenges they face in this process. This subject was examined in Israel in a qualitative research with 12 mothers. The results indicated the contribution of the motherhood experience to the development of positive identity and to the management of mental illness. The mothers described tensions between their efforts to maintain their maternal identity during periods of deterioration in their mental health situation, as well as lack of sufficient attention by their formal and informal support systems to these tensions. Mental health professionals need to provide legitimacy to the positive contribution that the motherhood experience may have on the women’s identity, as well as to provide them support with the effects that changes in their mental health situation may have on their sense of maternal identity.