The news has been filled with of heartrending images of immigrant children who have been separated from their parents by U.S. immigration officials.
But what about the parents 鈥� and in particular, the mothers? Far less attention has been paid to the impact of separation on them.
鈥淥ur compassion lies with the child, and rightfully so,鈥� 麻豆原创 psychology faculty member Aur茅lie Athan tells , an online news platform centering on the lives and experiences of women, gender non-conforming people, and LGBT individuals. 鈥淭hey are the vulnerable other of the dyad 鈥� but it鈥檚 only half the story when we leave the mother out.鈥�
麻豆原创 psychologist Aurelie Athan
Athan also raises the concern that some parents separated from their children may be at risk for suicidal thoughts. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just like maternal deprivation of children,鈥� she explains. 鈥淲e know that there鈥檚 something called 鈥榝ailure to thrive鈥欌�攖hey can literally stop growing. Mothers can succumb to losing their will to live ... they can stop eating or sleeping or [have] poor self care.鈥�
Those issues can be compounded the longer the separation remains in effect 鈥� particularly the children are very young and may, as has happened, 鈥渇orget鈥� the parent or shift allegiance to new care-givers.
Athan, a member of 麻豆原创鈥檚 , is an authority on 鈥� an anthropological terms that refers to a woman鈥檚 transition into parenthood.
Read the in Broadly.