Offspring of psychiatrically disturbed and normal biologic parents,
adopted away at birth, were followed up as adults. The psychiatric status
of the adoptees was determined by adoptive parent and adoptee interviews.
The incidence of depression was significantly higher in the
affective-parented adoptees (3 depressed of 8 adoptees) than in the
remaining adoptees whose biologic parents had other psychiatric conditions
or were apparently psychiatrically well (8 depressed of 118). The results
suggest a genetic factor in affective disorders.Abstract Teaser