A Word, a Shadow, a Breath: A Phenomenological Investigation of Therapists' Perceptions of the Stigma Experienced by Women Residing in Ireland Who Have Had Abortions
2018-08
Loading...
View/Download File
Persistent link to this item
Statistics
View StatisticsJournal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Title
A Word, a Shadow, a Breath: A Phenomenological Investigation of Therapists' Perceptions of the Stigma Experienced by Women Residing in Ireland Who Have Had Abortions
Authors
Published Date
2018-08
Publisher
Type
Thesis or Dissertation
Abstract
Objectives: Abortion stigma is a phenomenon arising from beliefs that abortion is morally wrong and/or socially unacceptable. Abortion stigma varies in how it is created, supported, perpetrated, and experienced depending various cultural factors. The present study strived to describe the lived experience of Irish women who experience stigma post-abortion from accounts by their psychotherapists. The focus was on how stigma is experienced by these women and the variety of systems that potentially influence that experience. Method: The present study was guided by hermeneutic phenomenological methods, including thematic phenomenological analysis. Nine Irish psychotherapists (eight female, one male) who were active practitioners and members of an accrediting Irish psychotherapy agency participated in face-to-face, in depth semi-structured interviews. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed at an individual and general level. Results: Responses yielded both unique and similar experiences of psychotherapists and their female clients. Four themes emerged from the data analysis process: Secrecy; Cultural Barriers: Breathing in Irish Culture and Irish Identity; Systems Working against Women (this theme contained three subthemes: Political/Governmental, Religious, and Interlinkage of religion and politics); and Personal is Professional. The themes and sub-themes were present in every participant’s narrative. Discussion: Women in Ireland uniquely experience abortion stigma due to a variety of factors that lead to internalized stigma. Abortion stigma can cause them to experience grief, guilt, and sadness in isolation and secrecy. Mental health professionals might best serve Irish women who are experiencing abortion stigma by increasing their awareness of its precipitating factors, including the unique effects growing up an in Irish culture can have on these women and on the practitioner’s ability to fully serve this population. Future researchers might directly investigate Irish women’s experiences of abortion stigma as well as the experiences of mental health professionals who serve them.
Keywords
Description
University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation.August 2018. Major: Educational Psychology. Advisors: Patricia McCarthy Veach, Caroline Burke. 1 computer file (PDF); vii, 144 pages.
Related to
Replaces
License
Collections
Series/Report Number
Funding information
Isbn identifier
Doi identifier
Previously Published Citation
Suggested citation
Martyr, Meredith. (2018). A Word, a Shadow, a Breath: A Phenomenological Investigation of Therapists' Perceptions of the Stigma Experienced by Women Residing in Ireland Who Have Had Abortions. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/216363.
Content distributed via the University Digital Conservancy may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor. By using these files, users agree to the Terms of Use. Materials in the UDC may contain content that is disturbing and/or harmful. For more information, please see our statement on harmful content in digital repositories.