Abstract
This study examines the emotional health of women who placed an infant for adoption during the first year post-placement and in their current life. Data were collected from 235 women, on average, 3.5 years after placement. Approximately 75% of women viewed their emotional health as “very poor,” “poor,” or “neutral” in the first year post-placement. Despite improvement in emotional health over time, over a third continued to report significant problems in their current life. Birthmothers' adjustment was positively related to level of support and to support satisfaction. Implications for helping women recover from this life stressor are discussed.