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Good, bad, thwarted or addicted? Discourses of substance-using mothers

British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health, cjreid{at}sfu.ca

Lorraine Greaves

British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health

Nancy Poole

British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health

In this paper we examined discourses of mothers who use substances. Focus groups were conducted at two different treatment programmes with diverse women who identified as mothers challenged by substance use. Real scenarios were presented to the participants and feedback was sought about how the women within the scenarios managed their situations and the actions taken by legal, media, and health authorities. Through the use of three lenses - rights, risks, and evidence - we identified four major discourses in the participants' talk. The `good mother', `bad mother', `thwarted mother' and `addicted mother' discourses revealed the multiple and at times contradictory ways the women made sense of their lives. Within all of the discourses the mother-child bond and the importance of providing necessary supports to mothers with substance-use problems were central. The women's discourses highlighted the challenges of negotiating the prevailing attitudes, practices and stigmas of being a substance-using mother while trying to do the right thing for their children.

Key Words: child welfare • discourse analysis • health policy • mothering/motherhood • substance use

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