Risk and protective factors associated with the experience of being a mother: A comparative study between Mexico and the United States of America

Being a mother is one of the most important experiences for many women. In spite of this fact, Mexican women have to face multiple factors affecting her motherhood. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of depression, intimate partner violence as well as the sociocultural factors in Mexico and the United States in the experience of being a mother. In the narratives of these participants, we found five main themes: perceptions, cultural influence, involvement, resources, and barriers. The main difference between both groups was the social support that many governmental agencies and NGO's in the United States provide to immigrant mothers.