Date
12-7-2023
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Natalie Hamrick
Keywords
Self-care, mother’s motivation, mental well-being, intervention, journal, positive affect, satisfaction with life
Disciplines
Philosophy
Recommended Citation
Plum, Jennifer Lynn, "Self-Care Practices, Mental Well-Being, and Motivation among Mothers: A Cross-Sectional Assessment and Self-Care Intervention Pilot Study" (2023). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5023.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5023
Abstract
Women with children have poorer mental health than their peers who do not have children due to the additional stressors brought on by their roles as parents. Previous research has shown that when the amount of time a person practices self-care increases, their mental well-being and satisfaction with life also increase. What research had not answered is whether increased amounts of time spent practicing self-care increases a mother’s motivation to complete her daily tasks. There is also a gap in research for specific self-care interventions that result in improvement in well-being and motivation. I sought to identify the correlation between the time mothers spent practicing self–care and their mental well-being, satisfaction with life, and positive affect, as well as their motivation to complete daily tasks. I also piloted a 5-week self-care journaling intervention to determine its impact on a mother’s motivation and mental well-being. Via Facebook, I enrolled 38 females between 25 and 50 years old with at least one school-aged child between the ages of 5-17 and not having a reported mental health issue or diagnosis or being under the care of a personal or family counselor. Each participant completed a 30-minute online survey containing the Mindful Self-Care Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Positive Affect Scale, and the Motivation and Energy Inventory scales (Part One). Of the 38 participants, 13 completed the journaling intervention (Part Two). Part One revealed that higher levels of self-care were related to higher levels of motivation, satisfaction with life, and positive affect. Part Two of the study revealed that mothers experienced pre- to post-self-care intervention increases in their motivation and satisfaction with life, but not positive affect. Mothers should be encouraged to increase the amount of time they spend practicing self-care to promote their mental well-being and their motivation. Improvement in these areas has been shown to improve familial relationships and a mother’s self-esteem, confidence, and worth.
