Mothering in the context of fathers’ problematic alcohol use

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to broaden the knowledge about how mothers are affected by the other parent’s problematic alcohol use. The study is qualitative and based on interviews with 23 mothers. Theories of motherhood are used in the analysis. Due to the fathers’ problematic alcohol use, the mothers are not only responsible for the child–father relationship, but also for all the practicalities concerning children and their safety. These responsibilities are, to a large extent, the same before and after a separation. For children growing up with a parent who has a problematic alcohol use, the other parent can be a protective factor. The results reveal how much stress and strain mothers face due to the other parents’ problematic alcohol use and also that they are in need of support to better handle their and their children’s situation. However, most of them experience lack of support. Support seems to be connected to the shared parenthood and therefore depending on fathers’ participation and social workers fail to acknowledge the mothers’ needs. Furthermore, the mothers’ ability to compensate for fathers’ flaws in fact plays a part in society not supporting the mothers.

SAMMANFATTNING

Syftet med den här artikeln är att utveckla kunskap om hur mammor påverkas av den andra förälderns problematiska alkoholkonsumtion. Studien är kvalitativ och baseras på intervjuer med 23 mödrar. Teorier om mödraskap används i analysen. På grund av pappornas problematiska alkoholkonsumtion är mammorna inte bara ansvariga för pappa-barn relationen, utan också för barnens praktiska omsorg och skydd. Detta ansvar ser i många fall likadant ut efter en separation. För barn som växer upp med en förälder som har problematisk alkoholkonsumtion kan den andra föräldern vara en skyddsfaktor. Resultaten visar hur mycket påfrestning mammor utsätts för på grund av den andra förälderns problematiska alkoholkonsumtion och att de behöver stöd för att bättre kunna hantera sin och sina barns situation. De flesta av dem upplever dock att de saknar stöd. Stöd förefaller vara kopplat till det gemensamma föräldraskapet och därför beroende av pappornas medverkan. Socialarbetare uppmärksammar inte mammornas behov. Dessutom bidrar mammornas förmåga att täcka upp för pappornas brister att de blir utan stöd från samhället.

KEYWORDS:

• Mothering
• parenthood
• alcohol
• support

NYCKELORD:

• mödraskap
• föräldraskap
• alkohol
• stöd

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Folkhälsomyndigheten.

Notes on contributors

Veronica Ekström

Veronica Ekström (PhD in social work) is a senior lecturer at the department of Social Science at Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University College. Her work at the department involves teaching, especially social law and violence against women, as well as research. Her main research interests involve the social services, violence against women, support for family members affected by problematic alcohol use and internet-based interventions for problematic alcohol- and drug use. Veronica is a trained social worker and has worked in child protection.

Magnus Johansson

Magnus Johansson is a PhD student at the department of Public Health Sciences at Karolinska Institute and social worker at Stockholm Center of Dependency Disorders. Magnus has worked with alcohol and subtance use problems over the last 25 years within social services, health care, residential treatment and thru internet interventions. His current work is focused on developing and evaluating new ways of helping people who are affected by alcohol and substance use disorders.