This is a systematic literature review, of the meta-synthesis type, which sought to locate, systematize, describe and interpret the concept of adoption in the Brazilian academic production of postgraduate studies in Psychology. Therefore, it was carried out in 5 phases: Exploration, Refinement, Crossing, Description and Interpretation. The first phase located all the theses and dissertations in the “Catálogo de Teses e Dissertações da Capes” [Theses and Dissertations Catalog of CAPES], using the available filters, through 5 descriptors: adoção, adotar, adotado, adotante and adotivo [adoption, adopt, adopted, adopter and adoptive]. Furthermore, as the productions prior to the Sucupira Platform are not in the database and some works in the platform are not available, it was necessary to search the universities' archives and other sources to find the productions. In the second phase, the titles of the works were read to locate the productions related to the subject. In the third phase, in search of duplicity between theses and dissertations, they were compared by descriptor and then between descriptors. In the fourth phase, a description of the documents was carried out regarding: historical series, type of document; document format; the geographical layout (regions, states and municipalities); institutional origin; type of institution; institutional category; interest in the topic; area of Psychology; postgraduate concentration area; line of research; theoretical basis; identified theorist; type of research and method. In this context, 72 productions were described (11 doctorate’s thesis and 61 master’s dissertations); the first, a master's dissertation, was published in 2001, and the years 2017 and 2018 have the highest number of production (8 each). Most are master’s dissertations (84%); have a traditional format (59 works); field research (57); in the Southeast Region (47%); São Paulo is the state that produces the most (16 productions), followed by Minas Gerais (10). The city of Porto Alegre is the municipality with the highest production (6). UFRGS and UFRN are the institutions that produced the most (5 works each). The type of institution that stands out the most is the public (70%), with the federal category being the most prominent (43 institutions). The sub-areas of Psychology that stand out are Clinical Psychology and Social Psychology (4 works each). The theoretical foundation identified as the most used in the works is Psychoanalysis (20 productions), in addition to Winnicott and Freud as the most used theoretician. The 45 master’s dissertations, published between 2010 and 2019, were interpreted, the same year in which Law 12.010 was enacted. The interpretative systematization indicated 3 nuclei of meanings: Nucleus 1 - Adoption of children and adolescents as one of the possibilities of exercising parenting: the search for the desired child. The choices, encounters and frustrations of the adoption process stand out; Nucleus 2- Adoption of children and adolescents as a means of providing community family living: right or viable solution? The right of children and adolescents to have a family is discussed, as well as the possibilities of transfers of spheres of power; and Nucleus 3: Adoption of children and adolescents: affectivity in focus. It demonstrates the difficulties, prejudices and challenges of the family after the adoption process and the importance of the environment for the formation of affective bonds. Finally, the interconnection of themes is discussed: family, justice and affection. It is also considered the importance and potential of the theoretical multiplicity of Psychology in adoption studies, with repercussions on academic education and the performance of professionals.