“At the end of the day he’s still my son”: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of mothers’ experiences of having a son in Forensic Mental Health Services

摘要

Background: People using forensic mental health services often have complex difficulties and the impact of these on carers is an area requiring further investigation. Little is known about the experiences of caregiving in the context of forensic mental health services.udAims: This study aimed to investigate the experiences of caregiving from the perspective of mothers of patients receiving forensic mental health services, specifically how they have made sense of their experiences, roles and relationshipsudMethods: The study was designed following the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Five mothers provided their informed consent to participate in semi-structured interviews exploring their experiences of caregiving in a forensic context. Interviews were transcribed and analysed in line with IPA methodology. udResults: Four superordinate themes emerged from the data: 1) The process of coming to terms with what happened 2) Evolving relationships 3) Negotiating the conflict between vulnerability and threat 4) The emotional realities of being a mother. udApplications: Participants’ accounts provided valuable insights into the complex nature of caregiving within a forensic context but also highlighted implications for clinical practice, service provision and future research.