Complex trauma evolution and the influence of motherhood: A qualitative exploration among young mothers formerly in residential care using ideal-type analysis

Année :
Référence

*Prévost-Lemire M, Paquette G, Tougas AM. (2026). Complex trauma evolution and the influence of motherhood: A qualitative exploration among young mothers formerly in residential care using ideal-type analysis. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. 

Résumé

Young mothers formerly in residential care are at risk of living with complex trauma as they adapt to their maternal role. Although young mothers describe positive aspects of motherhood, its influence on complex trauma remains unknown. This study uses a complex trauma perspective to examine the way functioning of young mothers formerly in residential care evolves through their experience of motherhood. The qualitative study draws from semi-structured interviews documenting complex trauma and motherhood among 17 young mothers formerly in residential care. Ideal-type analysis was used to develop a typology representing complex trauma evolution and influence of motherhood. The typology consists of three ideal types and one exploratory ideal type displaying distinct patterns of complex trauma evolution. Type 1, the “recovering mothers”, showed a positive complex trauma evolution, using motherhood as an impetus for recovery. Type 2, the “fighting-to-recover mothers”, experienced mixed evolution, in which motherhood was a motivation but also a challenge. Type 3, the “stabilized/destabilized mothers”, faced a negative evolution when confronted with new adversity, on which motherhood exerted a stabilizing influence. Type 4, the “overwhelmed mothers”, had a negative complex trauma evolution when pervasive disruptions were exacerbated by motherhood. The case of a young mother, impossible to include in the typology because she confided little, is also presented. These results suggest that young mothers can experience distinct patterns of complex trauma evolution through motherhood, and that they could benefit from interventions tailored to their complex trauma evolution and to the subjective meaning they attach to motherhood.

DOI