The Concept of Coping in the Context of Early Motherhood

Publication Type:
Journal Article
Citation:
International Journal of Women's Health & Gynecology, 2019, 1 (2), pp. 1 - 3
Issue Date:
2019-05-20
Full metadata record
Coping with a new child can represent a period of great stress and change for a mother, however has important consequences for perceptions of wellbeing. This qualitative, exploratory study explores the meaning of coping for mothers of young children who identify as well. Five mothers (mean age = 34.2 years) working full-time at home with an average of 2 children (mean age = 21.5 months or 1 ¾ years), took part in a series of two in-depth, qualitative interviews.The data were content-analyzed for themes. When attempting to define what coping meant to mothers of young children, the qualitative findings revealed two main themes (a) feeling in control, and (b) degrees of coping: higher and lower levels of coping. The findings supported the notion of coping being a health promoting concept in that it is equivalent to feeling in greater control. It would be worthwhile for the study to be replicated incorporating a range of methodologies and to research implications for healthcare. It might be worthwhile in future to possibly incorporate or integrate quantitative methods or validate coping inventories against subjective perceptions of coping.
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