Becoming a mother: Supported decision-making in context

This study explored how the support network influenced the decision-making of women with intellectual disabilities in relation to pregnancy. The study extended previous research to include the multiple perspectives of mothers, personal and professional support network. A model of decision-making was constructed, with implications of how services approach working with mothers with intellectual disabilities. Using a grounded theory methodology, three mothers with intellectual disabilities, two of their family members and six professionals were interviewed about their experiences of decision-making in relation to pregnancy. The results suggested that the quality of a woman’s relationships were key to facilitating decision-making. The results highlighted the need for services to focus on creating supportive working relationships with mothers and other services involved in the parenting assessment process.
Source: Journal of Intellectual Disabilities - Category: Disability Authors: Tags: Articles Source Type: research