Adopted Research Articles

Effectively Preparing Children for Adoption: Effects of the PPCA on Children’s Readiness and Professionals’ Practice

ABSTRACT Adoption from residential care presents significant challenges due to the children’s complex emotional needs. This study explores the perspectives of residential care and adoption professionals on the Program for Preparing Children for Adoption (PPCA) and its effects on children’s readiness for adoption as well as on professionals’ practice. We conducted 43 semi-structured interviews with residential care and adoption professionals who prepared 28 children for adoption using the PPCA, and the data were thematically analyzed. Participants reported that the PPCA facilitates children’s confidence, supports emotional expression, and enhances their understanding and openness about adoption. These factors contribute to promoting their emotional readiness and active participation in the adoption process, ultimately fostering smoother transitions into adoptive families. The participants valued the program’s structured yet flexible framework, which allows for tailored interventions. Additionally, participants perceived that the PPCA enhances their confidence and promotes collaboration among professionals. Overall, the results suggest that the program positively influences the child’s transition into adoptive families, emphasizing the importance of actively involving children in the adoption process. This study highlights the need to scale up the PPCA, including planned supervision to support professionals in managing the emotional impact of the preparation process.

Understanding Parenting Stress in Adoptive Parents: A Longitudinal Multilevel Study of Parents' Self-Criticism, Child Negative Emotionality, and Child Age at Placement.

Research on parenting stress in adoptive parents during the early years post-placement reveals significant variability, yet few studies examine both parent- and child-related factors. This study investigates the role of the personality dimension of self-criticism and perceived negative child emotionality in relation to parenting stress during the first four years after transnational adoption. Additionally, it explores the moderating effect of child age at placement, a key factor associated with early adversity. Drawing upon a longitudinal five-wave dataset in the first 4 years after the child arrived in the adoptive family, this study used multi-informant data of 96 adoptive mothers and fathers of transnationally adopted children (mean child age at placement = 13.48 months). Data were analyzed using a multilevel structural equation modeling approach. Parents' self-criticism was positively associated with parenting stress at the between-parent level. At the within-parent level, year-to-year fluctuations in both parents' self-criticism and perceived child's negative emotionality were positively associated with corresponding fluctuations in parenting stress. Child age at placement did not moderate any of these associations. Overall, this study yielded convincing evidence for the dynamic nature of parenting stress in the first years after child placement, the role of parental self-criticism, and the child's perceived negative emotionality herein.

Attitudes Toward Adoption by Transgender Adults

This study explored cisgender heterosexual adults’ perceptions of children placed in an adoptive family led by a couple with a transgender partner. Participants (n = 871) read one of five vignettes in which a couple (a cisgender different-gender couple, a cisgender same-gender male couple, a cisgender same-gender female couple, a couple with a female transgender partner, or a couple with a male transgender partner) intended to adopt two children. After reading the vignette, participants rated beliefs about children’s psychological development, willingness to support the adoption, and completed an attitude toward LGBTQ rights scale. Moderation analyses revealed that participants with low levels of support for LGBTQ rights perceived children adopted by couples with a transgender partner as being at greater risk of victimization and poor psychological adjustment compared to children adopted by either cisgender same-gender couples or cisgender different-gender couples and were less inclined to endorse adoption. A multigroup path analysis model revealed that support for LGBTQ rights impacted on agreement with adoption via the mediation of participants’ concerns for children’s psychological adjustment more strongly regarding transgender parents than cisgender same-gender couples. Our findings demonstrated that cis-heteronormativity concerns eclipsed claims to reproductive justice for transgender people seeking parenthood.

Measuring communication openness within adoptive families: The psychometric properties of the multi-informant Adoption Communication Openness Scale

Measuring communication openness within adoptive families: The psychometric properties of the multi-informant Adoption Communication Openness Scale

Unpacking Beliefs and Representations Surrounding Adoptive Families in Italy

Being an adoptive family member could be challenging, especially if the social context conveys unrealistic representations. In Italy, few studies explored socially shared beliefs about adoptive families. We investigated how adoptive parents and adopted children are perceived within the Italian context and whether attitudes toward adoptive and biological parenthood are different. 630 participants who were not part of adoptive families completed an ad hoc questionnaire exploring adoption-related beliefs, the Semantic Differential Scale, and the Couples Ratings Scale after reading vignettes about biological and adoptive parenthood. Our results showed positive views of adoptive parents, high concerns about the social support for adoptive families, and high worries about physical and sexual abuse for biological families. These results are an important first step toward understanding adoption-related socially shared representations in Italy, with the final aim of preventing negative behaviors toward adoptive families.

Exploring the Psychosocial Experiences of Within the Family Adoptees: An initiative for Mental Well-Being

This qualitative research delves into the exploring the psychosocial experiences of adoptees within their adoptive families, with a focus on their mental well-being. The study employed an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach to explore the psychosocial experiences of within-family adoptees in relation to mental well-being. The research involved six participants who were engaged in semi-structured interviews. The analysis revealed master themes and generated sub-themes through coding method. Five master themes were communication barriers, assistance, identity crisis, general societal attitudes, and emotional disturbance that contributed to a deeper understanding of the mental well-being for adoptees and shed light on various psychosocial aspects within the family context. The research sheds light on the various emotional, relational, and identity-related aspects that influence adoptees’ mental health within the family context. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of adoptees’ needs and suggest implications for supporting their overall well-being.

When Diapers are Erotic: Investigation of 197 People with Adult-Baby-Syndrome (Autonepophilia)

Goal: Autonepophilia is a behaviour of adults in which people behave like toddlers. They wear diapers, suck on pacifiers and love it to be cared for from other people. Often an erotic component is involved and urinating into the diaper is connected with sexual arousal. Currently only a small number of studies exist about the AB/DL-syndrome (adult baby / diaper lovers). This study aimed to characterize causes in the development and typical behaviours of affected persons. Method: Data were collected in social networks and online communities for adult baby / diaper lovers. A sample of 184 male and 13 female participants with AB/DL behaviour was recruited and compared with a not-affected control group (158 male and 13 female). Primarily a questionnaire was used, which was developed to collect data about this syndrome by the authors. In addition the elements of the „Giessen-Test-II“ (GT-II, Beckmann et al.) and the „Need Inventory of Sensation Seeking“ (NISS, Hamelstein et al.) were used. Results: Data support a psychodynamic, behavioural and biopsychological explanation for AB/DL behaviour. Predisposing factors were the absence of a secure attachment object, lower stimulation in the anal stage, associations between infant care and first sexual arousal, enuresis and testosterone deficiency. The main motive was the reduction of stress and tensions. In contrast to the short excitement, in a long term practicing of AB/DL led to strong feelings of humiliation and shame. Moreover, AB/DL affected individuals had fewer, shorter and poorer-qualities of partnerships compared to the control group. No significant differences were found with respect to the expression of docility or sensation seeking. Conclusion: The study shows evidence of a psychodynamic explanation for the Adult Baby Syndrome. The absence of a safe attachment object and understimulation in the anal phase of development were identified as possible predisposing factors. In combination with the fact, that AB/DL sufferers more often come from divorced and adoptive families, it can be assumed that the origin of this behaviour is in the external circumstances of childhood and youth.

Developing a group-based psychoeducation intervention for adoptive parents and foster carers in a specialist child and adolescent mental health service setting

Children and young people in foster and adoptive families are considered more vulnerable to a high level of mental health need when compared to peers who are not care-experienced or adopted. Acceptance of this view amongst clinical providers and policy makers has necessitated the development of specialist provision and dedicated care pathways within child and adolescent mental health services. In this provision, practitioner-initiated quality improvement projects help in appraising the effectiveness of clinical interventions in local contexts, as well as identifying areas for service learning and practice reflection. This article reports on the evaluation of a mentalisation-based psychoeducation group intervention for adoptive parents and foster carers. The evaluation activity took place in a single child and adolescent mental health service setting, starting during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the intervention being implemented online via videoconferencing. In the article, after introducing the intervention (based on the Family Minds model), an analysis of clinical data collected pre- and post-intervention is reported. Few results of the analysis regarding the two pre- and post-measures reached statistical significance, indicating only changes in the magnitude of stress in the parent/carer-child system. A series of reflections are posed that consider what this finding means in developing fit-for-purpose support for adoptive parents and foster carers in child and adolescent mental health service contexts.

Making sense of adoption disruption: An interpretative phenomenological analysis of the lived experiences of adoptive parents

BackgroundAdoption is typically considered an appropriate means of providing stability for children who have experienced developmental trauma and cannot live with their birth families. Unfortunately, in a small number of cases, adoptive parents are unable to continue to parent their child, and the family therefore experience adoption disruption. The present study explores the lived experiences of adoptive parents who have experienced adoption disruption in order to better understand the meaning they attach to these experiences. MethodSix participants from England and Wales took part in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted either remotely or in person on premises associated with an independent psychology practice. Interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. FindingsParticipants reported similar experiences of the adoption process and the associated challenges of parenting children who have experienced developmental trauma. Participants’ narratives were summarised using three overarching themes: (1) the relational identity of adoptive families; (2) adoptive parenting as a losing battle; and (3) adoption disruption as a journey of acceptance; comprising seven subthemes in total. Similarities and differences between participants’ meaning-making are described. ConclusionsParticipants’ meaning-making of adoption disruption is discussed in relation to previous literature, as well as theoretical concepts about idiocentrism, ecological systems theory and individual appraisals. The present study contributes to the growing body of literature that describes the determination of adoptive parents in light of significant challenges, and calls for better support for such families in order to help break transgenerational cycles of trauma.

An exploration of a Theraplay® informed group as an intervention for adoptive families

Theraplay® is a relationship-focused intervention based upon attachment theory that involves both adult and child. There is a growing evidence base for Theraplay® as an intervention with children and families although empirical research on its use with adoptive families is currently in its infancy. This research provides an understanding of the reasons for choosing Theraplay® as a support for adoptive families, how the intervention was implemented within a Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) and explores the views of adoptive parents and professionals regarding its effectiveness. The research design was a multiple case study with embedded units of analysis. Semi-structured interviews were used with adoptive parents and three focus groups were held with professionals to collect qualitative data. The data were analysed thematically resulting in the emergence of four main themes: support, process of intervention, impact of intervention and meeting the needs of adoptive parents. These themes are discussed in relation to existing literature, implications for practice and future research. The limitations of the research are also discussed.

Memorable messages regarding adoption and religion: Perspectives of adult adoptees

Memorable messages that adoptees receive throughout development may have lasting impacts on their well-being, identity development, and relationships. Given historical and current adoption practices that link adoption and Christianity, more research is needed to examine the memorable messages that adoptees received while being raised in these religious contexts. Using a qualitative approach grounded in the communicated sense-making model, 41 adult adoptees were interviewed to identify memorable messages they heard while growing up in Christian adoptive homes, the communicators of messages, and their interpretations of the messages as children and adults. Results revealed a range of memorable messages communicated primarily by adoptive parents and church members, including that the adoptee was chosen by God, that the adoption was part of God’s plan, and that they were saved/rescued. Common childhood interpretation themes included accepting the messages, questioning belonging, and complying/people pleasing. Adult interpretations were generally more critical, including that the messages glossed over trauma and grief and implied negative views of first family/culture. These findings add to the literature in adoptive family communication by taking into account the religious undertones of many adoption-based messages and contribute to the broader literature on memorable messages by identifying participants’ progression of sense-making in interpreting these messages.

Post-Adoption Stress and Support Needs of Families Relative to Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Disability: A Parent Survey

Existing occupational therapy literature focuses on sensory and developmental needs for newly adopted children but has not considered the ongoing needs of adoptive families from a disability studies perspective. This study surveyed adoptive families with minor children about their post-adoption stress and support needs (N = 127). Findings indicated elevated rates of neurodevelopmental disorders and associated stress related to finding and affording supports that are adoption and trauma-informed, and adjusting to changing needs over time. Support for adoptive families includes education, advocacy, and direct intervention, supporting family member’s changing needs over time, and navigating but not fixing many support needs.

Adoptive parents' racial colorblindness and adopted Korean adolescents' experiences of discrimination.

Using longitudinal data, this study investigated the association between parent racial colorblindness and discrimination toward children (reported by both parents and adolescents) in transracial, transnational adoptive families. Eighty White adoptive parents with adopted Korean children (ages 5-12 years old) were surveyed in 2007 (Time 1 [T1]), and both parents and adolescents (ages 13-19 years old) were surveyed in 2014 (Time 2 [T2]). Parents completed a self-report measure of parent racial colorblindness toward their child at T1 and T2, and parents and adolescents completed a measure of discrimination experienced by adoptees at T2. Parent reports of racial colorblindness toward their child were not significantly different between T1 and T2. However, parent reports of discrimination increased between time points. Further, parent and adolescent reports of discrimination were not significantly different from one another. Using hierarchical regression models, racial colorblindness among parents at T1 (when children were in middle childhood) was significantly associated with parent reports of discrimination experienced by adolescent children at T2, even when controlling for T2 racial colorblindness. This association did not hold for adolescent reports of discrimination. Adoptive parents' acknowledgment of their children's race and ethnicity appears relatively stable from childhood into adolescence, and parent racial colorblindness toward their own child can affect their ability to recognize discrimination during adolescent development, a vital period when discrimination becomes more common and salient. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Evocative effects on the early caregiving environment of genetic factors underlying the development of intellectual and academic ability.

This study examined gene-environment correlation (rGE) in intellectual and academic development in 561 U.S.-based adoptees (57% male; 56% non-Latinx White, 19% multiracial, 13% Black or African American, 11% Latinx) and their birth and adoptive parents between 2003 and 2017. Birth mother intellectual and academic performance predicted adoptive mother warmth at child age 6 (β = .14, p = .038) and 7 (β = .12, p = .040) but not 4.5 years, and adoptive father warmth at 7 (β = .18, p = .007) but not 4.5 or 6 years. These rGE effects were not mediated by children's language. Contrary to theory that rGE accounts for increasing heritability of intellectual ability, parenting did not mediate genetic effects on children's language or academic performance.

Differences in social adjustment during adulthood between adoptees with high and low risk for schizophrenia spectrum disorders - the Finnish adoptive family study of schizophrenia.

To investigate differences in social adjustment during adulthood between adoptees with high genetic risk (HR) and low genetic risk (LR) for schizophrenia spectrum disorders. This study is a subsample of the Finnish Adoptive Family Study of Schizophrenia. The study sample consisted of 120 adoptees whose biological mothers had DSM-III-R verified schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and 142 socio-demographically matched control adoptees. The social adjustment of the adoptees was assessed using the interview-based Adult Adjustment Scale (AAS). A lower proportion of the HR adoptees (61.7%) fell into the category of good adaptation compared to LR adoptees (74.6%) (p = 0.024). In addition, the median AAS score among HR adoptees was lower compared to LR adoptees (p = 0.023). Poorer results among HR adoptees were also found regarding some individual items and the social health -domain within the AAS. The psychiatric morbidity, excluding schizophrenia spectrum disorders, was higher among HR adoptees. Psychiatric morbidity was shown to mediate the association of genetic status to total AAS, and, also to the domain of social health. According to our results, genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia is associated with weakened social adjustment during adulthood. Although our results demonstrated that psychiatric morbidity has notable effect on the association of genetic status to adult adjustment scores, the impact of other determinants, like psychosocial factors or health-related behaviour, cannot be ruled out. The comparable rearing environment provided by the adoption design in conjunction with reliable diagnostics provide new information on the relation of genetic susceptibility and social adjustment.

“How Could You Give Your Child Away?” Birth Parents’ Experiences of Microaggressions

Birth parents are the most stigmatized and least researched part of the adoption triad and they experience microaggressions from a number of sources. With the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, birth parents’ needs and stories deserve to be elevated. Using the adoption microaggressions framework, this qualitative study examined birth parents’ lived experiences and the microaggressions they have heard and internalized. Microaggressions specific to birth parents and the adoption process were identified. The most frequently occurring microaggressions against birth parents included: Shameful Inadequate, Institutional Microaggressions, and Phantom Birth Parents. Implications for counseling and training are provided for working with members of the adoption triad.

A Lonely Position. Misrecognition and Belonging Among International Adoptees in Norway

In this article, we use the concepts of recognition and misrecognition to shed light on the subtle manifestation of othering and racism experienced by international adoptees in Norway. Our aim is to deepen understanding of identity formation and belonging among adoptees by examining recognition and misrecognition within two key contexts: encounters with strangers and interactions within the adoptive family. Strangers often perceive adoptees as immigrants or foreigners, failing to recognize their middle-class identity and their belonging to Norway. This misrecognition underscores the intertwined nature of physical appearance, class, and national belonging. Moreover, misrecognition of Norwegian identity not only symbolically separates adoptees from the nation, but also from their adoptive families, compounding the effects of misrecognition. Paradoxically, while family members unequivocally view adoptees as Norwegians, this recognition sometimes entails misrecognition of adoptees’ experiences with othering and racism in the external world, which can lead to a sense of alienation within the family. The dynamics of recognition and misrecognition, both externally and within the intimate sphere, can converge to isolate adoptees, placing them in a lonely position.

The effects of illicit drug use during pregnancy and parental hostility on problem behaviors in school-aged children over and above genetic influences.

Previous work has examined the impact of prenatal illicit drug use (PDU) on children's problem behaviors. However, many PDU-related risk factors, including genetic and rearing environmental risks, can also influence offspring's problem behaviors, thus confounding PDU, genetic, and rearing environmental influences. This study aimed to (a) identify effects of PDU on school-aged children's problem behaviors, including both externalizing and internalizing behaviors at Age 7, after controlling genetic and specific rearing environmental (e.g., maternal and paternal hostility at Ages 4.5 and 6) influences and (b) examine interaction effects between PDU and maternal and paternal hostility in predicting children's problem behaviors at Age 7. We used a parent-offspring adoption design to partition genetic and prenatal effects from postnatal rearing environmental influences. Participants were 561 children adopted at birth (42% female; 56% White, 19% multiracial, 13% Black/African American, 11% Latine, and 1% other), their adoptive parents, and their birth parents. Results indicate that PDU did not show a direct impact on Age 7 problem behaviors before or after controlling genetic risks and adoptive mother's and father's hostility. However, we found significant interactions between adoptive father's hostility and PDU when predicting children's problem behaviors, such that higher paternal hostility was associated with higher externalizing and internalizing behaviors for children whose birth mothers were non-use or rare use of illicit drugs during pregnancy. The results suggest that different from non- or rare drug-exposed children, higher levels of PDU may override the effects of paternal hostility, but not maternal hostility, on problem behaviors at Age 7. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

An Analysis of Reunifications Between Adopted Adults and Their Birth Relatives

ABSTRACT The life-long nature of adoption and recognition of the often-fragile nature of post-reunion relationships, means adoption agencies have a duty of care and moral onus to facilitate comprehensive support services that can be readily accessed. The Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust Post-Adoption Service was established in 1989, in response to the legislative changes brought about by The Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987. This study employed retrospective file analysis and a purposive sample of 15 Case Files, drawn from a 10-year period (2009–2018), to explore reunifications between adopted adults and their birth relatives, from the time of initial involvement and over the longer term. The use of an Advisory Panel of professional experts, a Pilot Study and a specifically created Data Collection Form, enhanced overall rigour and robustness. Thematic analysis of the data identified common themes of curiosity; identity related; meeting the birth mother; and death of adoptive parents/loss; leading to meta-themes of identity and loss. Key findings include the diversity amongst service users accessing the service in terms of their gender, age and life stage; their motivations; the time-restricted nature of current involvement; protracted timescales from initial contact to search is not uncommon; that post-reunion social work involvement saw a marked drop from pre-contact levels, particularly for birth relatives. The study makes a compelling case for a well-resourced service that offers additional pre- and post-reunion support and argues for a more proactive professional approach, with further expansion of existing support provision.

Legal problems of adoptive families in China

In the People's Republic of China, as in many other countries of the world, modern government policy in the field of family relations is focused on mobilizing the entire society to support families in raising children and supporting children left without parental care, including through placing children in foster care families. However, the legislation in the area of placement of children left without parental care is not perfect and requires a subjective assessment in terms of its compliance with the interests of children’s rights. This form of placement for children without parental care, like a foster family, has made in Chinese legislation relatively recently and is important for protecting the rights and interests of children without parental care. At the same time, the existing legislative rules ensuring the placement of children left without parental care in foster families are not perfect. Thus, the legal problems of placing children without parental care in foster families, related both to the restrictive framework that is imposed on the children themselves who are subject to placement in foster families, and the restrictive framework that is established for the foster families themselves (the age limit of parents, the number of children who can be raised in one foster family) deserve special attention. The article focuses on the legal problems of placing children without parental care in foster families. An analysis of existing problems has shown that there is an urgent need to modernize legislative norms related to placement in foster families in order to ensure the best and comprehensive interests of children, rather than maintaining the approach according to which the family becomes part of the bureaucratic and traditional framework, making it the last link in the implementation of state politicians.