Social science & medicine
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Mothers who use crack cocaine are commonly believed to be selfish, uncaring, and neglectful of their children. For this paper, the grounded theory method was used to analyze 68 semi-structured depth interviews with cocaine-using mothers. These women's views of motherhood, the strategies they used to manage mothering on cocaine, and the contextual influences on mothering outcomes were explored. ⋯ When unable to fulfil their maternal responsibilities by other means, some mothers placed their children with family members, and others lost custody involuntarily. When children were forcibly removed, mothers often increased their drug use to cope with the loss. Social and economic conditions influenced the outcomes of mothering on crack.