Navigating Motherhood and Mental Health: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Care-Experienced Mothers

Care-experienced mothers represent a vulnerable population at the intersection of complex childhood adversity and the challenges of parenthood, making them a crucial focus for research on mental health. The current study aimed to explore how care-experienced women perceive and manage the impact of motherhood on their mental health. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, we examined how care-experienced mothers interpret and make sense of motherhood and mental health in their specific contexts. Through the analysis of five mothers' interviews, four superordinate themes were identified: (1) <i>The value and fragile benefits of motherhood</i>; (2) <i>When the past and present collide</i>; (3) <i>The value and power of identities</i>; and (4) <i>Engagement with services: the push and pull</i>. The findings suggest that care-experienced mothers are more vulnerable to distress when their identities are solely tied to motherhood and when they experience power imbalance in support services. This highlights the importance of fostering self-worth beyond the maternal role and the need to provide accessible non-stigmatizing services. It is therefore important for policymakers and health professionals to work in collaboration with care-experienced mothers to establish compassionate, tailored, and ongoing support beyond statutory care. This support will be crucial in helping mothers with care histories maintain better mental health and consequently equip them to develop healthier relationships with their children and themselves.