Depression

This study investigated the relationship between the perception of family functioning and depressive symptomatology in individuals with eating disorders (EDs). Subjects were evaluated by diagnostic clinical interview using DSM-III-R criteria for EDs, the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime Version (SADS-L), and two self-report measures, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Family Assessment Device (FAD). A significant association was found between self-reported depressive symptomatology and perceived poor family functioning. Subjects with bulimia nervosa (BN) reported a significantly more dysfunctional family background than subjects with anorexia nervosa (AN). In our sample, the presence of self-reported depressive symptomatology was a more powerful predictive variable for perceived family dysfunction than the diagnosis of affective disorder. Also, the diagnosis of BN was a more consistent predictor of dysfunctional family interaction than the diagnosis of affective disorder. Depressive symptoms and EDs seem to play different roles in the way in which they contribute to dysfunctional family patterns.

Shame and guilt are closely related emotions of negative affect that give rise to considerably divergent motivational and self-regulatory behaviors. While shame-proneness has demonstrated replicable relationships with increased alcohol use disorder symptomatology, guilt-proneness appears to protect an individual against development of problematic alcohol use. One prominent but untested hypothesis is that shame-prone individuals are motivated to consume alcohol in order to down-regulate experiences of negative affect. The present study aimed to test this hypothesis by exploring relationships between shame and guilt-proneness with motivations for consuming alcohol. University students (N = 281) completed measures of shame and guilt-proneness, measures of alcohol use disorder symptomatology, and a measure assessing five motivational domains for consuming alcohol. Shame-proneness was positively associated with problematic alcohol use and drinking as a means of coping with anxiety and depression-related symptomatology. In contrast, guilt-proneness was inversely related to alcohol problems and drinking to cope with depression. This study provides initial support for the hypothesis that shame-prone individuals are inclined to consume alcohol in order to cope with negative affect states. These findings may help explain the inverse relationship between guilt-proneness and alcohol problems and the apparent positive relationship between shame-proneness and problematic alcohol use.

Dissociation is regarded as a possible psychological mechanism in nonepileptic seizures (NES), although existing evidence for this is equivocal. It has been suggested that the contradictory findings in this area reflect the use of measures that conflate qualitatively distinct types of dissociation, and provide inadequate coverage of the aspects of dissociation most closely related to NES. The study described here addressed this shortcoming by measuring the occurrence of two different types of dissociation, ''detachment" (measured using the Cambridge Depersonalisation Scale) and ''compartmentalization" (measured using the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire), in patients with NES (n = 32) and epilepsy controls (n = 37). As predicted, patients with NES scored significantly higher on the measure of compartmentalization only; contrary to prediction, however, this difference was no longer significant when anxiety and depression were controlled for. The conceptual and methodological implications of the study are discussed.

This study examined the association between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and parenting outcomes including parenting stress, feelings of competence and discipline strategies. Maternal depression and current partner violence were hypothesized to be mediators of the association between CSA and parenting. This study is based on secondary data analysis of archived data. The participants were 263 primiparous mothers (107 with a history of CSA and 156 comparison mothers recruited from a prenatal clinic prior to the birth of their first child. Mothers were interviewed twice: once when they were between 28 and 32 weeks gestation and again when their child was between 2 and 4 years of age. During the first interview, women were asked about childhood experiences of sexual abuse. During their second interview, they were asked about current symptoms of pathology and experiences with partner violence and parenting beliefs and practices. Structural Equation Modeling indicated that the relationship...

There is a strong correlation between gratitude and happiness. People who do not exhibit gratitude will find it difficult to be happy. Evidence shows that teaching children to show gratitude enhances learning and reduces the prevalence of depression and other mental health issues. This paper examines how traditional Jewish sources view the link between gratitude and happiness.

Objective There have been conflicting reports on the relationship between thyroid function and mood between studies in subjects on T4 and the general population not on T4. We investigated this relationship in a large catchment area-based study. Design We analysed data on serum TSH levels and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) scores from the HUNT 2 study (age ‡ 40 years). Following a test for interaction, analyses were performed separately in females on T4 (n ¼ 1265) and in people not on T4 (males n ¼ 9319 and females n ¼ 17 694). Results More females on T4 had high depression and anxiety scores than females not on T4 (depression 18AE4% vs. 13AE0%, P < 0AE001, anxiety 23AE4% vs. 18AE7%, P < 0AE001). In those not on T4, there was an inverse association between serum TSH and depression score in males (B coefficient ¼ -0AE61, 95% CI -0AE91 to -0AE24, P ¼ 0AE001) though not in females (B coefficient ¼ -0AE07, -0AE33 to 0AE19), and an inverse association between TSH and anxiety score in both genders (B coefficient for males ¼ 0AE68, 95% CI -1AE04 to -0AE32, P < 0AE001; females -0AE37, 95% CI -0AE67 to -0AE08, P ¼ 0AE01). In contrast, in females on T4, TSH was positively associated with both depression (B coefficient ¼ +0AE27, 95% CI 0AE02 to 0AE51, P < 0AE05) and anxiety (B coefficient ¼ +0AE29, 95% CI 0AE01 to 0AE56, P < 0AE05). Conclusions There is a different relationship between thyroid function and depression and anxiety in females on T4 compared with individuals with no thyroid disease. This group also has a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety.

We conducted a 3-wave, longitudinal study to examine the role of ethnic collective self-esteem and United States (U.S.) collective self-esteem on anxious-depressed symptoms over time among Asian and Latino immigrant-origin adolescents (n ϭ 171). Growth curve analysis revealed that anxious-depressed symptoms first decreased between 10th and 11th grade and then increased over time for both groups. Additionally higher levels of ethnic collective self-esteem were associated with lower levels of anxiousdepressed symptoms only for Asian adolescents. There was a differing pattern for U.S. collective self-esteem such that for Latino adolescents, higher U.S. collective self-esteem was associated with higher anxious-depressed symptoms, whereas for Asian adolescents there was an inverse relationship with anxious-depressed symptoms. The results expand the literature on ethnic and U.S. collective self-esteem and their link to mental health. Implications of the findings for research in general, and for counseling immigrant youth and families in particular, are discussed.

Obesity is generally a life-long problem with numerous weight-related complications. The relationship between body weight and risk of developing a significant disease, as well as total mortality and morbidity, has been examined in many epidemiological studies. Such studies provide insight into biological relationships. I addition to negative physical effects, obesity may also have deleterious psychological and social effects on the individual concerned. It is not obesity as a physical state that creates a psychological burden for many obese individuals, but rather the people or society who create this burden and suffering. Discrimination and prejudice may have adverse effects on the psychological well-being of a subgroup of obese persons. The psychological consequences of obesity are described in this chapter. Furthermore, the possible specific psychopathology of obese individuals in clinical settings, e.g., binge eating disorder and body dissatisfaction, are discussed. The second p...

The current investigation represents the first meta-analysis of the depressive realism literature. A search of this literature revealed 75 relevant studies representing 7305 participants from across the US and Canada, as well as from England, Spain, and Israel. Results generally indicated a small overall depressive realism effect (Cohen's d = −.07). Overall, however, both dysphoric/depressed individuals (d = .14) and nondysphoric/ nondepressed individuals evidenced a substantial positive bias (d = .29), with this bias being larger in nondysphoric/nondepressed individuals. Examination of potential moderator variables indicated that studies lacking an objective standard of reality (d = −.15 versus −.03, for studies possessing such a standard) and that utilize self-report measures to measure symptoms of depression (d = .16 versus −.04, for studies which utilize structured interviews) were more likely to find depressive realism effects. Methodological paradigm was also found to influence whether results consistent with depressive realism were found (d's ranged from −.09 to .14).

Depression is one of the most common psychological diseases, and as it happens for many other, the most widely used form of therapy is drugs: about one in every 10 Americans takes an antidepressant and the percent is more than double among women, especially in their 40s and 50s. Although the most widespread this treatment is not at all the better, for both its side effects and the fact it acts only on the symptoms, without in any way solving the causes, thereby forcing the patient to become drug-dependent for years, and sometimes for life. Counseling and psychotherapy treatment can lead instead to the identification and resolution of the causes but have limitations as well, including an apparently higher cost than drugs and a level of effectiveness not always optimal regarding the traditional psychological treatments but significantly increasing if integrative (or better holistic) approaches are applied.
From a holistic perspective every disease, especially if chronic, is a message whose purpose is to inform our consciousness that something in our life is not going in the right direction. Depending on the type of disease, this "something" can relate to diet, lifestyle, relationships, work, identity etc. Depression is an emotional disease and as such is not about feeding the body but the soul; in fact, it can be considered a form of chronic sorrow, informing us that something in our lives makes us sad. In some cases this " something " is a traumatic event (job loss, death of a loved one, a serious chronic disease, etc.) and the main goal of the therapy is to help the patient to overcome the event and move on. In much more cases depression is not related to a specific event but to an unsatisfactory way of life: a work not enough rewarding, an excess of duties with respect to the pleasures, the lack of a life purpose, loneliness, poor relationship with the partner (or with yourself) etc. In this article I will focus on this second kind of depression, whose purpose, although in a painful way, is to encourage our evolution, making us aware of what in our lives should be changed, improved or
reduced, and pushing us to do so.

Background: There is increasing recognition of the need to identify risk factors for poor mental health in pregnancy and following birth. In New South Wales, Australia, health policy mandates psychosocial assessment and depression screening for all women at the antenatal booking visit and at six to eight weeks after birth. Few studies have explored in-depth women's experience of assessment and how disclosures of sensitive information are managed by midwives and nurses. This paper describes women's experience of psychosocial assessment and depression screening examining the meaning they attribute to assessment and how this influences their response.

SOURCE: Baril, A. (2020). « Queeriser le geste suicidaire : penser le suicide avec Nelly Arcan », dans I. Boisclair, P.-L. Landry et G.P. Girard (dirs.). QuébeQueer : Le queer dans les productions littéraires, artistiques et médiatiques québécoises, Montréal, Presses de l’Université de Montréal, p. 325-341.

Background: The use of positive psychological interventions may be considered as a complementary strategy in mental health promotion and treatment. The present article constitutes a meta-analytical study of the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions for the general public and for individuals with specific psychosocial problems.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a decrease in well-being and an increase in mental health problems were registered in medical and psychotherapeutic practices, counseling centers, and clinics. According to previous stud- ies, younger people and women seemed to be particularly affected. The aim of this study was to describe mental health problems of students and to draw consequences for the fur- ther handling of pandemics and other crises. Method: Stu- dents at the University of Heidelberg, a typical German “full university,” were surveyed online using internationally com- parable screening instruments like the Well-Being Index (WHO-5) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ). In ad- dition, the students had the opportunity to describe in a nar- rative form their well-being and to make suggestions how to improve their situation. Results: Out of a population of 27,162 students who were contacted by email, 2,137 stu- dents completed the questionnaire. The salient finding is that according to the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, 72.2% of the
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respondents feel seriously impaired in their well-being. This corresponds to the finding that 75.8% of the respondents in the PHQ-D show indications of at least one syndrome diag- nosis. Depression was found in 41.8% of the respondents in the PHQ-D. Indications of moderate to severe and severe de- pressive syndromes were present in 31.8%. Signs of somato- form syndromes are found in 25.4% and of anxiety syn- dromes in 20.0%. 1,089 students gave narrative reports on how they were feeling and made suggestions for improve- ment. About 75% reported severely reduced well-being. Their main complaints were loneliness and depression and lack of recognition for their specific academic and life situa- tion during the pandemic. By far, the largest proportion of students supposed that their mental health issues were caused and/or intensified by the pandemic-related social contact restrictions. The vast majority of them made reason- able suggestions for controlled relaxation of contact restric- tions. Conclusions: Students suffer severely from the pan- demic-related social restriction. In respect to future pandem- ic outbreaks or other crises leading to social isolation, the dramatic consequences of social lockdowns should be taken into account. Under pandemic conditions, we especially should support persons lacking social networks.

Law firms seeking a competitive advantage in the marketplace would do well to consider that the positive psychological resources of firm lawyers are just as important to individual and organizational performance as their intellectual resources. There is growing evidence from the fields of positive psychology and positive organizational behavior that the resources of hope, optimism, self-efficacy and resilience shape the underlying attitudes and behaviors associated with increased performance. These resources may even buffer lawyers against the occupational hazards of the profession that cut against long-term success – hazards that include depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicide. In this capstone I advocate for traditional law firm associate training programs to be enhanced to include the development of psychological capital (or “PsyCap”), a construct consisting of the components of hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism. I discuss how policies that promote lawyer str...

The impact of nine strengths-based positive interventions on well-being and depression was examined in an Internet-based randomized placebo-controlled study. The aims of the study were to: (1) replicate findings on the effectiveness of the gratitude visit, three good things, and using character strengths interventions; (2) test variants of interventions (noting three good things for 2 weeks; combining the gratitude visit and three good things interventions; and noting three funny things for a week); and (3) test the effectiveness of the counting kindness, gift of time, and another door opens-interventions in an online setting. A total of 622 adults subjected themselves to one of the nine interventions or to a placebo control exercise (early memories) and thereafter estimated their degrees of happiness and depression at five times (pre-and post-test, 1-, 3-, and 6 months follow-up). Eight of the nine interventions increased happiness; depression was decreased in all groups, including the placebo control group. We conclude that happiness can be enhanced through some ''strengths-based'' interventions. Possible mechanisms for the effectiveness of the interventions are discussed.

CONTEXT:
Depression is common in dementia, especially in the early stages, with important clinical implications, but the etiology is unknown and most likely heterogeneous. Antidepressant use in the elderly without dementia has previously been shown to be associated with high risks of adverse events and with structural brain alterations.

OBJECTIVE:
To investigate cortical changes associated with depression and antidepressant use in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD).

METHODS:
74 subjects with mild AD and LBD from geriatric and psychiatry outpatient clinics in Western Norway were included. The Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was used to assess depression. Automatic preprocessing using Freesurfer included steps for white and grey matter surface reconstruction. The resulting cortical thickness was analyzed using linear modeling.

RESULTS:
Clusters of depression-associated thinning were found in prefrontal and temporal areas. Treatment-associated thinning was observed in the parahippocampal region and was significant even after correction for age, sex, AD/LBD diagnosis, and MADRS scores.

CONCLUSION:
Depression in mild AD and LBD is associated with cortical thinning in prefrontal and temporal areas. The findings suggest that depressive symptoms in mild dementia could develop due to neurodegeneration in the same neural circuits that are critical for depression across different brain disorders. Antidepressant use in patients with mild AD and LBD is associated with parahippocampal thinning. Taken together with low efficacy of antidepressants in cognitively impaired patients and high risks of adverse events, our results suggest a need to re-evaluate the treatment approaches for depression and the role of antidepressants in patients with dementia.

This paper is written in the spirit of a collaborative approach to the diagnosis and treatment of depression. It points toward a integrative Gestalt methodology, which is informed by he psychopathological perspective yet firmly rooted in a Phenomenological and Relational Field Perspective which honours the diversity of experience across the continuum of depression.

There appear to be two forms of high self-esteem: secure high self-esteem (which is often linked with psychological health) and fragile high self-esteem (which is generally associated with poor psychological adjustment and impaired interpersonal relationships). Discrepant high self-esteem is a form of fragile self-esteem characterized by high explicit self-esteem and low implicit self-esteem. The present study examined whether discrepant high self-esteem was associated with narcissism and self-esteem instability in an undergraduate sample. Using multiple measures of implicit self-esteem, two basic findings emerged from the present study. First, participants with discrepant high self-esteem possessed the highest levels of narcissism. Second, participants with high explicit selfesteem and high implicit self-esteem displayed the most stable self-esteem. Findings are discussed in terms of secure and fragile high self-esteem.

This paper presents a new model of gratitude incorporating not only the gratitude that arises following help from others but also a habitual focusing on and appreciating the positive aspects of life", incorporating not only the gratitude that arises following help from others, but also a habitual focusing on and appreciating the positive aspects of life. Research into individual differences in gratitude and well-being is reviewed, including gratitude and psychopathology, personality, relationships, health, subjective and eudemonic wellbeing, and humanistically orientated functioning. Gratitude is strongly related to well-being, however defined, and this link may be unique and causal. Interventions to clinically increase gratitude are critically reviewed, and concluded to be promising, although the positive psychology literature may have neglected current limitations, and a distinct research strategy is suggested. Finally, mechanisms whereby gratitude may relate to well-being are discussed, including schematic biases, coping, positive affect, and broaden-and-build principles. Gratitude is relevant to clinical psychology due to (a) strong explanatory power in understanding well-being, and (b) the potential of improving well-being through fostering gratitude with simple exercises.

The effect of adding a cognitive behavioral program to an intervention program in Positive Psychology was. For this purpose, 45 university students were measured by SWLS, PANAS, CES-D, BAI and HADS scales and assigned to one of two groups: a) intervention with positive psychology or b) intervention with more cognitive-behavioral positive psychology. Pre-post comparisons indicate that a Positive Psychology intervention significantly increases life satisfaction and positive affect and significantly decreases negative affect, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms (p < .05). Moreover, ANCOVA analysis show that the Cognitive-behavioral intervention does not contributed anything additional to the program of positive psychology in each of the variables measured (p > .05). In short, our findings suggest that it is possible to offer psychological assistance by providing tools from Positive Psychology that promote well-being and psychological health focusing on maximizing strengths within a small period intervention.

Do positive psychology interventions-that is, treatment methods or intentional activities aimed at cultivating positive feelings, positive behaviors, or positive cognitions-enhance well-being and ameliorate depressive symptoms? A meta-analysis of 51 such interventions with 4,266 individuals was conducted to address this question and to provide practical guidance to clinicians. The results revealed that positive psychology interventions do indeed significantly enhance well-being (mean r=.29) and decrease depressive symptoms (mean r=.31). In addition, several factors were found to impact the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions, including the depression status, self-selection, and age of participants, as well as the format and duration of the interventions. Accordingly, clinicians should be encouraged to incorporate positive psychology techniques into their clinical work, particularly for treating clients who are depressed, relatively older, or highly motivated to improve. Our findings also suggest that clinicians would do well to deliver positive psychology interventions as individual (versus group) therapy and for relatively longer periods of time.(c) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Depression is a serious disease affecting an individual's entire life-situation, which can lead to great suffering and a reduced level of activity in everyday life. The aim of this study is to explore and describe how art therapy works for clients with depression. A systematic literature search of relevant databases was carried out to find articles concerning art therapy for depression, meeting criteria for reproducibility. This yielded 16 articles published in seven journals. The art therapy methods employed in each selected study were then examined and compared in order to understand the healing mechanism or mechanisms. These healing mechanisms are here termed "therapeutic factors". The analysis resulted in eight therapeutic factors: self-exploration, self-expression, communication, understanding and explanation, integration, symbolic thinking, creativity, and sensory stimulation. No general conclusions could be drawn regarding circumstances, but the results indicate that art therapy can be performed successfully in a wide variety of clinical situations. The results are discussed in relation to International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) core sets for depression.

Do positive psychology interventions-that is, treatment methods or intentional activities aimed at cultivating positive feelings, positive behaviors, or positive cognitions-enhance well-being and ameliorate depressive symptoms? A meta-analysis of 51 such interventions with 4,266 individuals was conducted to address this question and to provide practical guidance to clinicians. The results revealed that positive psychology interventions do indeed significantly enhance well-being (mean r 5 .29) and decrease depressive symptoms (mean r 5 .31). In addition, several factors were found to impact the effectiveness of positive psychology interventions, including the depression status, self-selection, and age of participants, as well as the format and duration of the interventions. Accordingly, clinicians should be encouraged to incorporate positive psychology techniques into their clinical work, particularly for treating clients who are depressed, relatively older, or highly motivated to improve. Our findings also suggest that clinicians would do well to deliver positive psychology interventions as individual (versus group) therapy and for relatively longer periods of time.

Despite the growing evidence that perfectionism is associated with adolescent psychological distress, few studies have investigated this relationship prospectively with measures designed for use in adolescent populations. In the present study, within a diathesis-stress framework, we investigated the extent to which perfectionism and acute life stress predict depression, anxiety and self-harm among adolescent school children (n ¼ 515) over a 6 month period (Time 1-Time 2). Socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP), self-oriented perfectionism-critical (SOP-critical) and the associated interactions with acute life stress differentially predicted anxiety, depression and self-harm. Acute life stress was an independent predictor of depression, anxiety and self-harm. SPP predicted depression and interacted with acute life stress to predict self-harm. SOP-critical and the SOP-critical by acute life stress interaction predicted anxiety. Self-oriented perfectionismstriving (SOP-striving) did not predict any of the Time 2 measures of distress. The dimensions of perfectionism are differentially associated with psychological distress. Tailored clinical interventions focused on adolescent perfectionism should offer promise in tackling psychological morbidity in adolescence.

To access publisher&#39;s full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked FilesKynntir eru próffræðilegir eiginleikar þýðingar og staðfærslu RADS-2 matslistans. Listinn er hannaður til að skima fyrir depurð hjá unglingum og hefur bandarísk frumgerð hans ágæta eiginleika í því skyni. Listinn er stuttur, samanstendur af 30 atriðum og heildartala hans endurspeglar það hve alvarleg einkenni depurðar eru. Listinn inniheldur fjóra skilgreinda prófhluta: Depurð metur helstu einkenni og tilfinningar tengdar depurð, Áhugaleysi og neikvætt skap metur áhugaleysi í daglegum athöfnum og tilfinningalega deyfð, Neikvætt sjálfsmat metur neikvæð og niðrandi viðhorf í eigin garð og Líkamleg einkenni tengist líkamlegum upplifunum og óstöðugleika í skapi. Íslensk þýðing og staðfærsla var unnin með hléum yfir átta ára tímabil þar sem endurtekin gæðaferli, rýni og forprófanir, leiddu til endurskoðunar prófatriða. Gögnum um lokagerð RADS-2 var safnað á höfuðb...

The context-free diagnoses outlined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders might not provide enough information to represent the heterogeneity observed in depressed patients. Interpersonal factors have been linked to depression in a mutually influencing pathoplastic relationship where certain problems, like submissiveness, are related to symptom chronicity. This study evaluated interpersonal pathoplasticity in a range of depressive presentations. We examined archival data collected from 407 participants who met criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD), dysthymic disorder (DD), or subthreshold depression (sD). Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified 5 interpersonal subtypes (vindictive, intrusive, socially avoidant, exploitable, and cold). Apart from gender, the subtypes did not differ significantly on demographic characteristics, psychiatric comorbidity, or self-report depression severity. Socially avoidant participants were more likely to meet criteria fo...

Background: Violence against women has long been considered a hidden health burden. Questions about violence have not been included in health surveys; hence, little is known about prevalence and the consequences for health in the general population. No national study has been conducted in Norway. Aims: To estimate the prevalence of partner violence in Norway and the relationship between victimization and somatic health and depression and anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Methods: Data collection was performed by Statistics Norway. Among a random sample of women aged 20—55 years, 2,407 women returned the questionnaire (63.3%), of whom 2,143 were ever-partnered. Selected demographic characteristics were obtained from registers. Results: In total, 26.8% of 2,143 ever-partnered women had experienced any violence by their partner during their lifetime, and 5.5% in the year before the study. Low educational level, being unmarried, separated or divorced, currently being unemploye...

INTRODUCTION Cognitive stimulation may be beneficial in slowing the progression of mild neurocognitive disorder (NCD), but the results of existing research are inconsistent. Furthermore, there are no long-term interventions nor individual (one-on-one) interventions applied by professionals. Objetive. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a long-term individual cognitive stimulation intervention on people with mild NCD. PATIENTS AND METHODS A pre-post test design with a non-equivalent control group was conducted. A total of 82 participants with mild NCD were assigned to a cognitive stimulation intervention group or to a control group. The intervention consisted of 88 individual format sessions of approximately 45 minutes, twice per week. Independent evaluators assessed cognition, depressive symptomatology and autonomy level in activities of daily living at pre-intervention, intra-intervention (6 months) and post-intervention (12 months). RESULTS At intra- and post-inter...

We aimed to assess comprehensively the prevalence of perinatal risks experienced by a potentially high-risk yet understudied population of children domestically adopted in the United States. Data are from participant report and medical records from mothers (n = 580) who completed a domestic adoption placement with nonrelatives at or near birth (Mean placement age = 7 days). We describe a comprehensive measure of perinatal risks, including divergences from previous assessment tools and the incorporation of multiple reporters, and report the prevalence of various types of perinatal risks. The prevalence of each specific risk factor was generally low, although several risks were more prevalent in this sample than estimates from nationally representative publicly available data. Nearly the entire sample (99%) experienced some type of risk exposure. Birth mothers who placed their children for adoption domestically in the US experience higher levels of perinatal risks than the national av...