What roles do male partners play in the mothering experiences of women living with mental illness? A qualitative secondary analysis

Table 2 Participant Characteristics

Characteristic	Study 1 (N = 8)	Study 2 (N = 10)
Mothers’ ages	Data not collected	30–55 years (mean = 42 years)
Children’s ages	1–22 years (mean = 8 years)	2–25 years (mean = 12 years)
Living with partner	3	6
Number of children	1–3 (mean = 1.75)	1–4 (mean = 1.9)
One or more children removed by child protection services	8	0
Current custody^a
Full time	3	7
Part time	0	4
Non-custodial	6	0
Experienced domestic violence	8	2
First diagnosis
Prior to child’s birth	8	7
After child’s birth	0	3
Diagnoses^b
Depression	3	6
Bipolar disorder	3	2
Psychotic disorder	2	3
Anxiety disorder	1	3
Post-traumatic stress disorder	1	3

^a 1 mother from each study had different custody arrangements for different children
^b Mothers were not required to disclose a diagnosis. All but one did so, and almost half reported multiple diagnoses

ISSN: 1471-244X