[sd1969]

Hi everyone,

I'm wondering if a history of taking antidepressants and being in psychotherapy is held against prospective adoptive parents. How do adoption agencies view this? Does it exclude a person from being approved as an adoptive parent?

--SD

[Shrken7]

I don't remember any questions concerning such issues on our homestudy or with the paperwork for our doctor. I bet it is probably up to the agency handeling the homestudy.

[Cricket8351]

Hi SD.
I can't tell you how your particular adoption agency will handle such information. I can only tell you based on my experience being a Social Worker and doing foster care and adoptive homestudies for the State Social Services Systems.

No, having a history of taking antidepressants and/or psychotherapy does not automatically exclude a person from adoption. It will be an issue that needs to be explored though.

During the homestudy, a thorough Social Worker is going to ask you about your health history, any and all medications you are taking as well as any counseling you have received. This is in addition to the physical you will have to have completed by your doctor.

Just be honest. You will most likely need to get a letter from your counselor or sign a confidentiality release form so that the Social Worker can obtain limited information from your service providers. The Social Worker is going to want to know if there are any concerns about your ability to parent a child.

The Social Worker does not have the right to know everything you said during therapy sessions nor do they want to know all the details. They just want to make certain there are no mental problems that could effect your ability to parent.

Really the same purpose as the health/medical report from your physician...is there a medical problem that could limit or hinder your ability to parent a child.

Many people have sought the assistance of a counselor for psychotherapy and/or medication due to a chemical imbalance or because of life experiences or really any number of reasons. It is not necessarily a weakness but rather a strength in my opinion to have the ability to identify a problem and address it/correct it/face it head on/whatever.

I think honesty is the key. Social Workers are not looking for perfect people.

I hope this helps and wish you luck.

T