Coping style is associated with parental distress beyond having a mental illness: A study among mothers with and without mental illness

Objectives: Based on previous literature showing that the association between coping styles and outcome depends on the context in which the coping takes place, the current study assessed the association between coping styles and parental distress among mothers with and without serious mental illness (SMI). Method: A total of 120 mothers (60 with SMI and 60 without) completed coping and parental distress questionnaires. Associations between having'not having a mental illness, coping styles, and parental distress (as a dependent variable) were examined. Results: Having a mental illness was not associated with parental distress, whereas coping styles were. Specifically, for all women (with and without mental illness) coping styles of disengagement and distress externalization were positively related to parental distress. Conclusion and Implications for Practice: Professionals in the field need to be aware of and responsive to the universal stressors of motherhood and support adaptive strategies to cope with such motherhood-related challenges.