| This study investigated maternal anxiety in adoptive mothers with respect to adoption disclosure. It explored the variables that potentially mediate the anxiety an adoptive mother feels about telling her child that he or she is adopted. Eighty first-time adoptive mothers with children between the ages of six months and three years of age filled out a Background questionnaire, the Spielberger State Anxiety measure, the Barron's Ego-Strength measure, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, two subscales (Fear and Distress to Limitations) of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire and two subscales (Fear and Frustration) of the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire.; The relationship between a mother's ego-strength, marital adjustment, and the temperament of the child were studied to determine their relationship to anxiety with respect to adoption disclosure. These variables, it was believed, could significantly impact the degree of anxiety experienced by the mother. Because the adoptive mother often perceives adoption disclosure as threatening for the stability of her family life and her relationship with her child, anxiety inevitably arises. The hypothesis predicted that the stronger a mother's ego-strength, her perception of the strength of her marital relationship, and her perceived ease of the temperament of her child, the less anxiety she would experience related to the adoption disclosure process with her child.; The findings of this study partially confirmed the hypothesis. Although neither the adoptive mother's ego-strength nor perception of the ease of her child's temperament showed a significant negative correlation with her anxiety score, the adoptive mother's anxiety score was significantly negatively correlated with her perception of her marital adjustment. These results suggest that the adoptive mother's anxiety with respect to the anticipated adoption disclosure process have an important link with her marital relationship. This study examined issues not heretofore explored, as well, such as differences between an adoptive mother's anxiety in interracial versus intraracial adoptions with respect to the telling process. |
