"I'm not the same person I was, she's not; none of us are": The experience of mothering a self-harming adolescent daughter

Lee, Jennifer A L

Abstract

Self-harm is a pervasive phenomenon, with an increasing number of adolescents using such behaviours in response to their distress. Much research has been undertaken to establish the aetiology and management of self-harm, as well as the impact on those that self-harm. However, little research has been completed with a focus on the impact of self-harm on the primary caregiver, most often the mother. As many adolescents who self-harm do not connect with clinical services, how the primary caregiver is affected, challenged and able to cope is vital to their own wellbeing as well as the recovery of the child.

Semi-structured interviews were completed with six participants, all mothers of daughters who self-harmed between the ages of 15 and 18 years. Their accounts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), a qualitative methodology that explores the lived experience of a particular phenomenon using a small sample.

Two main superordinate themes emerged from the data: 1) Impact of self-harm on the mothers’ self (with a focus on their ideology of mothering, destabilisation and loss) and 2) The existence of self-harm as an omnipresent phenomenon (with a focus on self-harm as relentless, isolating and creating fear). Additionally, this study supports the primary position that mothers may have to support and manage their child’s self-harm, thus indicating the vital requirement for greater practical and emotional support for the mothers themselves.

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 11, 2019
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1490953
• Award Date: Oct 11, 2019