title: A cross-cultural study on surrogate mother's empathy and maternal-foetal attachment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Traditional and gestational surrogate mothers assist infertile couples by carrying their children. In 2005, a meta-analysis on surrogacy was conducted but no study had examined empathy and maternal-foetal attachment of surrogate mothers. Assessments of surrogate mothers show no sign of psychopathology, but one study showed differences on several MMPI-2 scales compared to a normative sample: surrogate mothers identified with stereotypically masculine traits such as assertiveness and competition. They had a higher self-esteem and lower levels of anxiety and depression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if there is a difference in empathy and maternal-foetal attachment of surrogate mothers compared to a comparison group of mothers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three groups of European traditional and gestational surrogate mothers (n=10), Anglo-Saxon traditional and gestational surrogate mothers (n=34) and a European normative sample of mothers (n=32) completed four published psychometric instruments: the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (empathy index), the Hospital Anxiety and Depressions Scale and the MC20, a social desirability scale. Pregnant surrogate mothers filled the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (n=11). Statistical non-parametric analyses of variance were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Depending on cultural background, surrogate mothers present differences in terms of empathy, anxiety and depression, social desirability and quality of attachment to the foetus compared to a normative sample.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Environment plays a role for traditional and gestational surrogacy. Surrogate mothers of both groups are less anxious and depressed than normative samples. Maternal-foetal attachment is strong with a slightly lower quality of attachment. Surrogate mother's empathy indexes are similar to normative samples, sometimes higher.
authors.affiliation: University Paris Diderot, CRPMS, Bâtiment Olympe de Gouges, 5 rue Thomas Mann, 75013 Paris, France. Electronic address: elorenceau@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ellen Schenkel
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Lorenceau
authors.affiliation: University Paris-sud 11, 63 rue Gabriel Péri, 94276 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mazzucca
authors.affiliation: University Paris Diderot, CRPMS, Bâtiment Olympe de Gouges, 5 rue Thomas Mann, 75013 Paris, France.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tisseron
authors.affiliation: Alliant International University, California School of Professional Psychology, 10455 Pomerado Road, San Diego, CA 92131, United States.
authors.forename: Todd D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Pizitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008950:MMPI; D033261:Maternal-Fetal Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013533:Gestational Carriers / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cross-cultural comparison; Empathy; Maternal–foetal relations; Social desirability; Surrogate mother