The Meanings and Experiences of Motherhood in Women Diagnosed With Severe Mental Illness: A Tidal Model-Informed Qualitative Study.
Maria Romeu-Labayen, Glòria Tort-Nasarre, Olga Monistrol and 1 others
PMID 42581776WHAT IT FOUND
Women with severe mental illness described stigma and professionals dismissing their desire to be mothers.
Some hid pregnancy or gave up. Others described support from family, partners or clinicians as helping them pursue motherhood.
Key findings
01Women reported that professionals sometimes dismissed their wish to become mothers, and some hid their desire or pregnancy to avoid this.
02Women who chose not to have children also faced stigma, including being asked to prove their decision was made consciously.
03Participants said motherhood was rarely discussed in mental health visits and some were not warned that neuroleptics could interfere with milk.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included a small purposive sample of women who completed interviews, so it is not a broad account of all women with severe mental illness in the region. The participants were recruited through community mental health services in Catalonia, so the themes may not transfer to other health systems or cultures. Participants knew the study was about pregnancy and motherhood, which may have shaped what they chose to tell. Some accounts referred to experiences from decades ago, so memory and later reinterpretation may affect the narratives. The researchers had health field experience and no severe mental illness diagnosis, and they said their position could influence interpretation. The study describes experiences and does not test whether any service model changes outcomes.
Declared interests
Funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that any care approach improves reproductive outcomes. It reports women's experiences of stigma, support and information gaps, not a tested treatment effect.