PURPOSE: To uncover what adolescent mothers view as their childhood struggles, their transition to the role of motherhood following a childhood of abuse/neglect, and their important relationships after they became parents. DESIGN: Qualitative, phenomenological. SETTING: Community-based parenting program for first-time mothers at risk for abusing or neglecting their children. PARTICIPANTS: Seven first-time mothers, ages 13 to 20, who reported they had been abused and/or neglected as children. All had healthy newborns. RESULTS: Five themes emerged from the data: impoverished past, disintegration of relationships, emotional distance, problem fixing, and reconnecting. Participants described a process of using the experience of pregnancy and parenting as a mechanism for growth. Becoming a parent provided an opportunity to receive support from family members and to build more positive relationships. They viewed the experience as a second chance for a successful and fulfilling life.
PURPOSE: To uncover what adolescent mothers view as their childhood struggles, their transition to the role of motherhood following a childhood of abuse/neglect, and their important relationships after they became parents. DESIGN: Qualitative, phenomenological. SETTING: Community-based parenting program for first-time mothers at risk for abusing or neglecting their children. PARTICIPANTS: Seven first-time mothers, ages 13 to 20, who reported they had been abused and/or neglected as children. All had healthy newborns. RESULTS: Five themes emerged from the data: impoverished past, disintegration of relationships, emotional distance, problem fixing, and reconnecting. Participants described a process of using the experience of pregnancy and parenting as a mechanism for growth. Becoming a parent provided an opportunity to receive support from family members and to build more positive relationships. They viewed the experience as a second chance for a successful and fulfilling life.
Authors: Lauren B Zapata; Dmitry M Kissin; Cheryl L Robbins; Erin Finnerty; Halyna Skipalska; Roman V Yorick; Denise J Jamieson; Polly A Marchbanks; Susan D Hillis Journal: J Urban Health Date: 2011-08 Impact factor: 3.671