Guatemalan women are exposed to various health and mental health disparities due to the scarcity of appropriate interventions aimed at responding to their life experiences and specific parenting needs. This investigation had two major goals: (a) To understand the life experiences of a group of Guatemalan mothers, particularly as it refers to being a woman in the Guatemalan context, and (b) to identify the participants' parenting experiences and needs. A series of focus groups were implemented with a total of 30 low-income Guatemalan mothers. Findings from this investigation clearly describe the multiple challenges that Guatemalan mothers experience in their daily lives, which also impact their parenting practices. Moreover, data show relevant individual and contextual variables associated with the participants' extraordinary sense of resilience. Finally, research findings describe the participants' high desire to participate in interventions aimed at improving their quality of life and parenting skills. This investigation constitutes the foundation of a long-term program of research aimed at culturally adapting and disseminating mental health and parenting interventions responsive to Guatemalan mothers and their families.
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