Through the depths and heights of darkness; mothers as patients in psychiatric care
Sammanfattning
Introduction: This study attempts to contribute to the
knowledge of caring science and mental health care by
means of a profound understanding of the patients’ existential
world when being a mother in receipt of psychiatric
care, with focus on inner processes such as health and
suffering. Mothers struggle to cope with the demands of
the illness and the responsibility for their children. They
see themselves through their children and regard the
child as an important part of themselves. Mothers experience
guilt and shame related to motherhood, and when
they have to relinquish their responsibility as a mother,
they consider themselves a failure. Despite a range of
practical and emotional difficulties, motherhood involved
extremely positive experiences, which provide a purpose
as well as fulfilment and meaning in life.
Methodology: This study is rooted in philosophical hermeneutics
inspired by Gadamer with an inductive-deductive-abductive
approach. Interpretation of the data was made
on different levels of abstraction described as rational,
contextual, existential and ontological. The point of
departure was the caring science theory about health
and suffering and the hermeneutic philosophy of
understanding.
Result of the interpretation: The interpretation revealed the
mothers’ experiences of health and suffering as a struggle
between the darkness of suffering and their inner source
of strength. In the light of the theory of caring, the conscience
became visible as the bearer of the human
being’s inner ethos of love and compassion. Experiences
of health and suffering were interpreted as a struggle
between guilt and responsibility, where conscience
emerged as the road from ontological guilt to responsibility
that leads the human being to what is true, beautiful and good in life. Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons.