“The break in care”: Mothers’ experiences with alcohol abuse and care in Mexico

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the experiences related to motherhood and care among mothers who attend mutual support groups to address alcohol-related harm in Mexico City and the State of Mexico. Drawing on the conceptual framework of collective health from a gender perspective, we contend that socioeconomic and gender-related factors influence the social determination of alcoholism and the health-disease-attention-care process. A qualitative study was conducted between May 2020 and January 2021, which included interviews with ten women who were selected based on specific criteria, as well as non-participant observation in a women’s Alcoholics Anonymous group. The main findings show how trajectories of alcohol abuse and its management are interconnected with trajectories of care. From there, it was possible to identify a “break in care,” a category that sheds light on mistreatment and the precariousness of life and health of women and their children.

Keywords

• Women
• Alcohol Abuse
• Mothers
• Caring
• Alcoholics Anonymous
• Mexico