Mothers Are Everywhere: Finding Stories of Motherhood in a State Psychiatric Hospital

Abstract

Research and services for mothers with mental illness remain a slowly emerging field, and expanding discussion to include mothers who are also hospitalized is rare. This chapter describes a research study on the prevalence and needs of inpatient mothers at one state psychiatric hospital in suburban New York. Information on custody status, frequency of contacts, and effect of mental illness on parenting was collected, along with mothers’ ideas on how the state hospital system can better serve them as parents. The idea that parenting can be tied to wellness and lead to improved treatment outcomes was not routinely acknowledged and leaves room for further research and policy changes to address this important social role among women.