03/07/2026
There is a new study published in adoption land - and I need you to see it if you care about an adoptee for a birth mother. I need you to read every word, especially if you are a therapist. When you see these numbers, you will understand that we can cannot afford for therapists to not be adoption competent with real training and ongoing consultation. I read a lot of research about adoption; this one is even written in a readable way.
⚠️ content note: this post contains statistics about su***de attempts. If you or someone you know is struggling, please call or text 988 su***de in crisis lifeline.
You may have seen others sharing some of these numbers in the last year. I didn’t, not because I doubted them, but because I knew they would be so shocking that some people wouldn’t believe them. I waited until the research was peer-reviewed and published. Previous research in the US has depended on adoptive, parent and adolescent report, so it is not surprising that the numbers were lower than when adult adoptees and first mothers report on their own su***de attempts.
21% of adoptees and 22% of first mothers report having attempted su***de - making them 35x and 37.7x more likely than the general population. Let that sink in. And 94.3% of adoptee reported developing unhealthy coping mechanisms. These numbers explain why I am so passionate. The study also speaks to how adoptees and first mothers wants society to consider their perspective and help change the narrative around adoption
These aren’t just stats. These are the people sitting in your office, dear therapist. Other recent research tells us that approximately 89% of adoptee, more than 89% of birth parents, and over 90% of adoptive parents reported engagement with mental health professionals - substantially higher than the general US population estimates of 30 to 40%. Please sign up for my free monthly list of info and resources for adoption therapy and consider more trainings, more conferences, and more consultation.
PS you probably know a birth mother. She may just not have told you, but reading this will help you understand why.
Thank you for all the work you put into this (links in bio)
