Women with mental suffering and motherhood: thematic verbal history

Objective: Display stories of women with mental suffering on the experiences of motherhood. Method: A descriptive, exploratory research with qualitative approach, performed in a Psychosocial Care Center in the countryside of a state of northeastern Brazil. The production of material occurred by means of interviews with six collaborators, using questions from a cohort based on theoretical assumptions of Oral History Theme. The analysis was guided by the critical tone of the narratives enabling emerge four thematic categories: "A woman with mental suffering, motherhood and family relations" and "Difficulties for maintenance of the mother-child bonding." Results: The study showed that the strengthening of the family and social nucleus is paramount to assist the recovery and potentiate the therapeutic success of women with mental suffering, positively in esteem and in the confrontation of the prejudices and, consequently, facilitate the maintenance of maternal bond. As impediments to the maintenance of the mother-child bonding, we identified the weakening of family relations and socioeconomic vulnerabilities in which women If you were, preventing them from providing adequate conditions for raising children. Conclusion: The strengthening of the family nucleus proved to be the most important strategy in the maintenance of motherhood by women with mental suffering.