Resilience in the offspring of mothers with schizophrenia
Item
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Title
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Resilience in the offspring of mothers with schizophrenia
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Identifier
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d_2009_2013:8fe5318f3c3e:10634
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identifier
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10823
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Creator
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McLoughlin, Michael K.,
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Contributor
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Peter Fraenkel
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Date
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2010
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Clinical psychology | ambiguous loss | children of schizophrenics | coping with maternal mental illness | offspring of schizophrenic mothers | resilience | schizophrenia
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Abstract
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Eight adult offspring of mothers with schizophrenia were interviewed about their experience of being raised with a mentally-ill mother. Mean age of offspring was 8.6 years when their mothers first displayed symptoms. All offspring were initially from intact married, two parent families. Majority of mothers were mentally healthy, functional parents during participants' early childhoods. Participants experienced ambiguous loss in regard to losing their "pre-illness mother" to schizophrenia. Offspring reported confusion over mother's mental status due to lack of family communication. Offspring children typically felt responsible for somehow causing their mother's illness. Mothers experienced a mean delay of 5.7 years between showing full symptoms and receiving a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Participants noted lack of support from extended family, the community and the mental health system. Offspring described many challenges in getting their emotional needs met and in dealing with stigma from the community. Mother's emotional withdrawal, religious fanaticism, paranoia and delusions were the symptoms most disruptive to family life. Coping strategies of offspring included compartmentalizing home life from their school and social lives with peers, immersing themselves in school and community activities such as sports and using humor. Main sources of support were identified as "my own drive to succeed," "doing things for others," belief in a Higher Power, playing music and relying on fathers, friends and (as adults) spouses/partners. Participants reported experiencing survivor guilt from leaving younger siblings and mother behind when first leaving home. As adults, participants displayed early first marriage (mean =22.2 yrs) compared to general U.S. rates, and decreased mean birth rate of 0.9 children per participant compared to their mothers' mean birth rate of 2.8 children. Participants described not having children as an active choice due to fears that their child or they themselves might later develop schizophrenia (due to genetic risk). For some, being parentified in childhood also contributed to their decision to not have children. The few participants who had their own children considered them an important source of emotional support. Offspring and their families appear to experience the five stages of grief (Kubler-Ross, 1969) in reconciling the loss of mother to mental illness.;Keywords: schizophrenia, offspring of schizophrenic mothers, children of schizophrenics, resilience, stigma, parentification, coping strategies, ambiguous loss, stages of grief, survivor guilt, reflective functioning.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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2009_2013.csv
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
