Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

First Mothers/Birth Mothers: Social Support And Long-Term Psychological Stress And Growth, Megan L. Lyons

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

Adoption has become a growing area of research. While much of the existing research focuses on the adoptees and their adoptive parents, this study aimed to focus on the first mothers/birth mothers and their life experiences related to placing an infant, or infants, for adoption. The aim of this study was to determine areas for future clinical focus and support program development throughout the adoption process. The study worked toward this goal by considering the availability and impact of perceptions of social support on the psychological stress and growth of first mothers/birth mothers post-adoption and sought to: (a) determine the …