A SAMPLE OF 246 ADOPTEES AGED 10 TO 37 YEARS AND SEPARATED AT BIRTH FROM BIOLOGIC PARENTS, ONE OR BOTH OF WHOM HAD HAD A PSYCHIATRIC CONDITION OR HAD DEMONSTRATED BEHAVIOR INDICATIVE OF A PSYCHIATRIC CONDITION, WAS USED AS WELL AS A MATCHED GROUP OF CONTROLS. THE SUBJECTS AND THEIR PARENTS WERE ADMINISTERED A QUESTIONNAIRE OF APPROXIMATELY 150 ITEMS THAT COVERED PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT, HEALTH, AND SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT. INTERVIEWERS SOLICITED INFORMATION ON SYMPTOMS OF ALCOHOLISM, DRUG ABUSE, ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY, UNIPOLAR AND BIPOLAR PRIMARY AFFECTIVE DISORDER, HYSTERIA, ANXIETY NEUROSIS, OBSESSIONAL NEUROSIS, PHOBIC NEUROSIS, AND SCHIZOPHRENIA. ADOPTION AGENCY RECORDS WERE REVIEWED FOR DATA ON PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSIS OF ADOPTEES, AND DIAGNOSES ON BIOLOGIC PARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WERE MADE BY A PSYCHIATRIST. ADOPTIVE PARENTS WERE ALSO INTERVIEWED ABOUT MEDICAL PROBLEMS OF THEIR ADOPTIVE CHILDREN. DATA ANALYSIS INVOLVED CORRELATIONS OF NOMINAL INFORMATION. A MAJOR FINDING WAS THE SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION OF ANTISOCIAL ADOPTEE DIAGNOSIS IN THE ADULT ADOPTEE SAMPLE WITH A BIOLOGICAL PARENT DIAGNOSIS OF ANTISOCIAL PERSONALITY OR BEHAVIOR. ANTISOCIAL ADOPTEE DIAGNOSIS IN THE ADULT SAMPLE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE CORRELATED WITH OTHER BIOLOGIC PARENT PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES, INCLUDING OTHER TYPES OF PERSONALITY DISORDERS OR PERSONALITY TRAIT DISTURBANCES. OTHER FACTORS THAT MIGHT HAVE INFLUENCED ADULT ADOPTEE OUTCOME WERE NOT FOUND. HOWEVER, IN MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS OF A NUMBER OF ANTISOCIAL SYMPTOMS, AN ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR, THE PRESENCE IN THE ADOPTIVE FAMILY OF PSYCHIATRIC PROBLEMS IN A PARENT, WAS DISCOVERED. THE STUDY RESULTS ALSO SUPPORT THE CONCEPT THAT THE ANTISOCIAL 'SPECTRUM' CONDITIONS, HYSTERIA IN ADULT FEMALES AND MOOD SWINGS POSSIBLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYMPTOM OF AUDIBLE THOUGHTS, ARE APPARENT MORE OFTEN IN OFFSPRING WHOSE PARENTS EVIDENCE THESE SYMPTOMS. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)