It might be that I’m writing this preface a week before Mother’s Day, but the theme of this issue is clearly related to mothers, their struggles, their supports, and the things that can matter to helping improve their lives.
In “Substance Abuse Treatment Engagement among Mothers: Perceptions of the Parenting Role and Agency-related Motivators and Inhibitors,” authors Kristen D. Seay, Aidyn L. Iachini, Dana D. DeHart, Teri Browne and Stephanie Clone present the experiences of mothers who have been treated for substance use. In this qualitative study, you will hear the voices of women who are separated from their children, as well as mothers who have concerns about inpatient settings that include their children. This article delves into agency services that have helped motivate as well as create barriers to substance abuse treatment.
In “Examination of the Relationship Between Social Support and Treatment Outcomes in Mothers Referred by Child Protective Services Utilizing the Significant Other Support Scale,” authors Jessica Urgelles, Brad Donohue, Jason Holland, Ramona Denby, Graig Chow, Christopher P. Plant, and Daniel N. Allen explore the influence of social support in the treatment outcomes of women who are involved with CPS and also struggle with addiction. Surprisingly, the support systems of these women are more predictive of success then the number of sessions attended.
Women who are misunderstood and blamed are examined by Isabelle Courcy and Catherine des Rivières, in a qualitative study on the experiences of mothers with a child on the spectrum. In “‘From Cause to Cure’”: A Qualitative Study on Contemporary Forms of Mother Blaming Experienced by Mothers of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder,” we hear the voices of mothers who have been made to feel inadequate by family, friends, and members of their communities.
The services we provide to mothers in need is also the subject matter of “Mothers Matter: A Feminist Perspective on Child Welfare-involved Women.” Here, author Stacy Dunkerley explores the disadvantages that many women in “the system” are forced to endure, and the lack of awareness that too often exists among health care providers. Building on the main tenets of feminist theory, Dunkerley challenges the existing system, and offers alternate ways of approaching this population that reflect feminist values.
Hearing the experiences of women who struggle with poverty, substance abuse, family violence or who are made to feel inadequate as they do their best to raise children with special needs, we are made aware of the tendency to blame the mothers who are most in need of our support. The need to empower, respect and advance women’s rights is a cause that is represented by Virginia Goldner, a leading feminist scholar and therapist who has made major contributions to the field and has developed new approaches to the treatment of partner violence. Together, the voices and experiences of the mothers in this issue will add to our commitment to improve the well-being of mothers who receive our clinical services. By implementing the ideas and recommendations expressed by the mothers and therapists in this issue, we are one step closer.