Walton, Emily2024-11-152024-11-152023Walton, Emily. (2023). The Impact of Severe Mental Illness on Mothering: Perceptions of Clinical Psychologists [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg].https://hdl.handle.net/10539/42568A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024A large portion of adult women who suffer from severe mental illness (SMI) are mothers. Unfortunately, mothers with SMI have historically been considered as incapable of caring for their children. The impact that SMI has on mothering, particularly in the South African context, remains underexplored in literature. In particular, the perceptions of individuals working therapeutically with these groups have been largely neglected and overlooked. This exploratory study had a dual focus which was both to draw attention to the impact that SMI can have on mothering and the mothering identity, and to explore the perceptions and experiences of clinical psychologists working with these individuals. This study followed a qualitative research approach underpinned by the interpretivist design in order to address the aims of the research and answer the research questions. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to select a sample of seven clinical psychologists who have experience working with mothers with SMI. In order to generate the data, semi-structured interviews guided by an interview schedule were employed, and a thematic approach to data analysis was utilised. As a theoretical framework, the Grounded Theory of the Psychological Experience of Mothering (Barlow & Cairns, 1997) was drawn on, in conjunction with relevant psychoanalytic theories, to guide the research methods, data analysis and presentation and discussion of findings. The impact of SMI on mothering and the mothering identity is intricately interweaved with contextual factors, as well as the internal and intrapersonal processes that occur in the individual mother. The findings revealed the complex and nuanced nature of this phenomenon, and the duality that is present in the identity of the mother, as well as the psychologist, which has to be negotiated in treatment. The unique South African context introduces further complexities which have to be both managed by psychologists and mothers with SMI.en© 2024 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.mothering, severe mental illness, clinical psychologist, dual identitySDG-3: Good health and well-beingDissertationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg