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. 2025 Sep 17;77(1):2555650.
doi: 10.1080/00049530.2025.2555650. eCollection 2025.

'It gives me purpose': stories shared by Aboriginal mothers and their perspectives on nurturing resilience

Charlotte Sapio  1   2 , Natasha J Howard  3   4 , Tina Brodie  2   4 , Karen Glover  1   3 , Renae Holmberg  1 , Yvonne Clark  1   2   3
Affiliations

'It gives me purpose': stories shared by Aboriginal mothers and their perspectives on nurturing resilience

Charlotte Sapio et al. Aust J Psychol. .

Abstract

Objective: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have unique experiences of motherhood, underpinned by intergenerational cultural knowledge and holistic practices. Ongoing colonial violence perpetuates adversity associated with peri- and post-natal health and wellbeing outcomes. Aboriginal mothers' perceptions of resilience are not well understood, with resilience predominantly framed by Eurocentric understandings. Subsequently, this research explored the gap of post-natal resilience from an Aboriginal perspective.

Method: The research expands upon the "Corka Bubs" research of Aboriginal mothers in the antenatal period which sought to develop a novel care package to reduce adverse experiences. Utilising an Indigenous methodological lens, yarning took place with five mothers and the transcribed material was thematically analysed.

Results: Four core themes for Aboriginal resilience in motherhood were identified: Connection, Learning and Growing, Caring for Self and Others, and Identity. Combined, these connections enabled mothers to combat adversity and remain strong for their children.

Conclusion: The stories shared contribute to strengths-based understandings of Aboriginal resilience. Our findings suggest that Aboriginal mothers' resilience is grounded within holistic and collectivist values, differing from Western perceptions of resilience.

Keywords: Aboriginal; motherhood; resilience; social and emotional wellbeing; strength based approach.

Plain language summary

What is already known about this topic: Aboriginal communities’ conceptualisations of health and wellbeing encapsulate connection to holistic and cultural influences, which nurture positive health outcomes.The ongoing oppression of Aboriginal Peoples has resulted in Aboriginal women experiencing preventable adverse pre- and postnatal outcomes.Resilience is reflected as an essential trait or inherent process needed for all humans across the lifespan to adapt and overcome adversity. What this topic adds: Qualitative information regarding the ways Aboriginal women stay strong within a postnatal context.Provides an understanding of the cultural and colonial factors that inform resilience for Aboriginal mothers.Shapes knowledge of a culturally informed and strength-based perspective of Aboriginal Resilience.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Social and emotional wellbeing model (Gee et al., 2014).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Conceptual map of core findings.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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