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Laurie C. Miller, MD

JAMA. 2005;293:2533-2535.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Adoption has been a part of human culture since earliest recorded times: Moses is perhaps the most famous adopted person in history.^1-2 Fascination with adoption pervades literature (from fairy tales and myths to modern novels), psychology, and medicine. Researchers have long studied adoption in attempts to isolate the effects of "nature" and "nurture" on behavioral outcomes and mental health.³ Genetic factors, separation from birth parents, environmental exposures (both prenatal and postnatal), and aspects of the adoptive home environment have all been cited as possible contributors to adverse behavioral and mental health outcomes among adoptees.⁴

Although numerous articles have been published under the search headings of "adoption and mental health" or "adoption and behavior," the use of disparate patient populations, diverse research questions, and varied methods make the results bewilderingly difficult to synthesize. Positive adoption outcomes are undoubtedly underreported.⁵ Furthermore, reports of increased prevalence of mental health . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Author Affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, Mass.

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Femmie Juffer and Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
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