Longing to belong: The ambiguous loss of Indigenous fostered/adopted individuals

Abstract

BackgroundIndigenous fostered/adopted individuals report high levels of grief because of their foster care/adoption. Little has been done, however, to explore how grief is experienced and the factors that contribute to said grief for fostered/adopted Indigenous individuals. ObjectiveThis study examined the experiences of loss and grief of Indigenous individuals fostered/adopted during childhood. Participants and settingParticipants were 102 Indigenous fostered/adopted individuals who described the experiences of loss and grief related to adoption. MethodsThis study utilized secondary data from the Fostered and Adopted Individuals Project. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted on open-ended survey data. ResultsTwo themes emerged: (1) ambiguous loss as a result of foster care and adoption and (2) the effects of the ambiguous loss that stem from foster care and adoption. Indigenous fostered/adopted persons experienced ambiguous loss in foster care and adoption. Their loss remained unresolved due to a loss of access to information about their family and tribe of origin. Although family of origin, tribal community, and culture were not physically present due to separation by foster care/adoption, they remained psychologically present. As a result of ambiguous loss, participants experienced disenfranchised grief, wondering and longing to belong, and mental health and substance abuse. ConclusionThis study is the first of its kind to explore the loss and grief experiences of fostered/adopted Indigenous individuals using ambiguous loss theory. Ambiguous loss theory offers a framework for contextualizing the loss and grief that begins at separation and is present in adulthood.