title: An adoption study comparing the prevalence of psychiatric illness in women who have adoptive and natural children compared with women who have adoptive children only.
abstract: The current study compares the current and lifetime prevalence of affective disorder in women who have adopted and have natural children (n = 110) with women who only have adopted children (n = 176). There was no difference in lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorder between the two groups and a nonsignificant trend for women who had born children to have had a major depressive episode during their lifetime 48 (44%) cf 62 (35%). The increased prevalence of psychiatric illness in married women with children cannot be explained by the biological fact of bearing children. None of the social variables related to child-rearing which were examined influenced the lifetime prevalence of psychiatric disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Birmingham, Queen Elizabeth Psychiatric Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Dean
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: W Z
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000300:Adoption / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors