Being an adoptive mother during the pandemic: Unique risks and resources

There is a lack of research in the literature regarding adoptive parents’ adjustment to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The current study was aimed at evaluating differences between adoptive and non-adoptive mothers, considering both risks (i.e., COVID-19 stress in terms of fear and traumatic stress symptoms related to the virus) and resources at individual (i.e., sense of coherence), couple (i.e., partner’s support), parent-child (i.e., parent-child relationship satisfaction), and social (i.e., friends’ support) level. A discriminant analysis was used to predict which variables discriminate more effectively between the two groups. Our sample consisted of 445 mothers (40.9% adoptive mothers), who participated in an online survey between May 2021 and October 2021. Findings showed that COVID-19 traumatic stress symptoms, parent-child relationship satisfaction, and sense of coherence contributed most in distinguishing between the groups. Specifically, adoptive mothers reported a less traumatic reaction to the experiences related to the virus and a greater ability to perceive stressors as under control and predictable. However, they reported lower parent-child satisfaction. Results will be discussed in relation to practical implications.