“She was feeling overwhelmed at home caring for her children”: Hegemonic motherhood and motherhood as protective among young mothers who died by suicide

Background

A broadening of research into maternal suicides to outside of the perinatal period, this project is a thematic analysis of 31 young mothers (aged under 25) who died by suicide in Australia. Preliminary results show that the majority (61%) were victims of some sort of violence (online bullying, sexual and other physical violence) and 55% had a mention of physical violence towards them. This project looks at gendered violence towards mothers in multiple ways, including socially through systematic violence and physically through domestic and family violence.

Aim

To help better understand young women's suicide and suicide among mothers.

Methods

A thematic analysis of 31 cases of young women (aged under 25 years), from the National Coronial Information System, who died by suicide in Australia.

Significance

There is little research into suicide among women, despite a recent increase in young women dying by suicide in Australia and suicide being the number one cause of death of young women in recent years. This paper broadens understandings not only of young women who died by suicide, but their lives beforehand. The implications for policy and practice is to challenge an understanding of motherhood as protective of suicide and to help protect young women living in, and fleeing from, domestic and family violence by providing adequate safety and care. It aims to prevent suicide among young women and mothers through a social prevention response rather than a psychological post-vention.

Funding Body

NA

Project start date

January 2020

Expected completion date

January 2024