Mental health articles

Recovery Is a Family Process for Mothers with Mental Illnesses The course of mental illness—the emergence of symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery—is rarely linear, and prognosis and outcomes may vary depending on a variety of factors, such as gender, race, and ethnicity. Our contention is that, in addition to the most commonly studied factors (e.g., symptoms, illness severity, treatment), parenting status and success or failure in this role contribute significantly to the course of mental illness and recovery. Our experience in talking with many hundreds of mothers with mental illnesses over the years is that, regardless of their current child care giving, custody, or visitation status, mothers with mental illnesses define themselves as parents first and as psychiatric patients last. Succeeding or failing as a parent has a profound impact on a woman’s mood, feelings of self-esteem and self-efficacy, and, consequently, on a mother’s wellness or illness and recovery.

Tags: mental illnesses, recovery