Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
Post-adoption depression among adoptive mothers
Yehuda Senecky1, Hanoch Agassi, Dov Inbar
1Child Development and Rehabilitation Institute, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, Petah Tiqwa, Israel. Senekimi@zahav.net.il
Objective:
To evaluate the rate of depressive symptomatology and possible underlying factors in adoptive mothers during the transition to motherhood.
Design:
Cohort survey.
Setting:
General Community.
Participants:
Thirty-nine adoptive mothers of reproductive age registered with international adoption agencies.
Interventions:
All women completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) before and 6 weeks after the adoption.
Main Outcome Measures:
Responses were compared between the study group and published findings for biological mothers in the general population, and within the study group, before and after adoption.
Results:
Symptoms of depression were found in 15.4% of the study group. This rate was similar to that for postpartum depression in the general population, and lower than the rate recorded in the study group before adoption (25.6%). All women with symptoms of depression after the adoption had also shown evidence of depressive features before the adoption. Similar findings were noted for other psychopathologies as well.
Conclusion:
Adopting a child does not cause new-onset, reactive depression among adoptive mothers. It may even lead to a decrease in depressive features, perhaps in response to relief from other adjustment difficulties.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Long-term Depression
Long-term Depression
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over time, all...
Attachment
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Depression: Overview

