Women who desisted described themselves as exercising their agency in pursuing opportunities for desistance. The data reveal multiple patterns of substance use desistance behavior, from prompt desistance to persistence throughout the pregnancy. Based on data from in-depth life history interviews with thirty recently-pregnant women who had used alcohol, tobacco or other drugs during their pregnancies, this study captured the experiences of substance-using mothers as they navigated health and criminal justice consequences and accessed needed resources in the community. To accomplish the aims of this study, narrative identity theory was employed as a theoretical framework for understanding women’s sense-making of their experiences. The purpose of this dissertation was to advance the understanding of (1) women’s decision-making regarding substance use and motherhood, (2) how women desist from substance use during and after pregnancy, and (3) how women navigate or overcome barriers to care. Although there has been research on the consequences of maternal substance use, little is known about why some women are motivated to desist during pregnancy and why others persist. Negative health consequences associated with substance use impact both the mother and the developing fetus, and there are ongoing attempts to criminalize substance use during pregnancy that put pregnant substance-using women at risk of detection, arrest, and punishment. Substance use during pregnancy and motherhood is both a public health and criminal justice concern.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |