Intercountry adopted adults with adoption discontinuity histories
There are many euphemisms for adoption including “permanency” and “forever families.” However, we know that not all adoptive families are permanent or stable after an adoption finalization occurs. While research on adoptive parents who have chosen to temporarily or permanently place their adopted child out of the family home is growing, the experience of adoption discontinuity from the adoptee’s perspective is missing.
The perspectives of adult intercountry adoptees (n=15) who experienced adoption discontinuity (including, but not limited to, foster care, adoption dissolution, kicked out of the adoptive home, or cared informally by relatives or community members) were explored through qualitative interviews.
Findings point to a lack of adoptive parent preparation by intercountry adoption agencies, the need for stronger supports for intercountry adoptees who are struggling, and the impact displacement has had on these adoptees in adulthood. Themes related to family and systems dynamics that contributed to the adoption discontinuity and the role of community and social work profession in addressing this issue will be presented.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating: Satisfaction of Dutch adult intercountry adoptees with their adoption and their life
From earlier research we know that intercountry adoptees show an amazing catch-up after their adoption and do relatively well in life, but this need not be correlated with a positive opinion on their adoption. Therefore we approached Dutch adult intercountry adoptees through their adoptive parents and through adoptee organizations, for their appraisal of their relinquishment and adoption, and their satisfaction with life. Three intercountry adoption organizations sent letters to all adoptive parents with adult children they mediated for with the question to send a link with a questionnaire to their adult intercounty adopted children. Moreover, the two largest adoptee organizations sent a mail with a link to the questionnaire to their members. Over 1200 adult adoptees (age 18 – 45) from 45 countries answered the questionnaire.
The results showed that the average satisfaction with life of the adult intercountry adoptees was high, higher than the Dutch average population. The satisfaction with life was positively correlated with appraisal of adoption and relinquishment, although the correlation with adoption was higher than with relinquishment. About eleven percent of the adult adoptees struggled in life and with their adoption. Although the adoptees indicated that they became more satisfied with their adoption and their life as they became older, the oldest adoptees showed the least satisfaction with adoption and life. This might be connected to the improvement of the adoption system, the better preparation of adoptive parents and the better post adoption services in the course of time.
Étude de cas multiples sur les capacités d'adaptation des adultes ayant vécu l'abandon parental en bas âge
Si certaines personnes ont recours à l’adoption pour des raisons personnelles, pour d’autres les enjeux sont d’ordre humanitaire. Pour les couples tout comme pour les enfants, l’adoption semble être une seconde chance pour contrer l’abandon parental ainsi que l’infertilité. Bien que la recherche et la pratique en matière d’adoption aient passablement évolué depuis ces dernières années, les thématiques principales mettent l’accent sur les enfants. Nos connaissances quant aux défis propres à ces adultes adoptés sont plus limitées. Pourtant, la réalité québécoise met en évidence la présence d’environ 20 000 personnes adoptées à l’international. La naissance de regroupements d’adultes adoptés ainsi que de mouvements de retrouvailles et de retour aux origines mettent en lumière certains besoins des adultes adoptées.
L’objectif général de cet essai doctoral est de contribuer à l’avancement des connaissances sur le plan de l’adaptation psychosociale des personnes ayant vécu l’abandon parental en bas âge et ainsi contribuer à une meilleure pratique en contexte d’adoption internationale. La présente étude adopte une approche méthodologique qualitative, soit l’étude de cas multiples. Un échantillonnage raisonné de 18 participants d’origine vietnamienne a été sélectionné. Dix adultes québécois d’origine vietnamienne qui ont été adoptés entre 1990 et 2000 et huit adultes vietnamiens qui ont vécu, durant la même période, dans un orphelinat au Vietnam jusqu’à l’âge de leur majorité. Des entrevues semi-structurées ont été réalisées auprès des participants sélectionnés. Ces derniers ont rempli également le Questionnaire des Styles d’Attachment, version française (validation québécoise) et version vietnamienne (traduction maison).
Le résultat de l’étude met en lumière l’importance du rôle de l’environnement dans l’élaboration des stratégies d’adaptation de l’individu au cours de sa vie. L’adoption ne semble pas être identifiée comme un facteur de protection ou de risque absolu dans le développement de l’individu. Il apparait que la présence ou l’absence de figure significative joue un rôle important dans la construction de l’identité, l’estime de soi, le sentiment de confiance/sécurité, l’attachement et l’élaboration des stratégies d’adaptation. Le contexte de vie institutionnelle semble être un facteur de risque sur le plan de l’estime de soi et le sentiment de confiance/sécurité, mais semble stimuler, d’une certaine façon, la capacité d’élaboration des stratégies d’adaptation. Pour soutenir l’adaptation de la personne, des efforts devraient être dirigés, d’une part,vers le soutien à la famille naturelle afin d’éviter le déracinement et divers traumatismes chez l’individu et d’autre part, vers la personne adoptée afin de favoriser le développement de son identité hybride.
Latent Class Analysis of Risk Factors and Mental Health Outcomes among Korean Adult International Adoptees
Considerable research has focused on the positive well-being of international adoptees. However, a recent meta-analysis revealed that international adopted adolescents are at increased risk of mental health problems compared to domestic adoptees. Several risk factors at the various ecological levels have been identified predictive of adoptees mental health concerns. However, these risk factors are often studied in isolation using variable-oriented analytic approach. Risk factors often co-occur and not everyone respond to risk factors similarly.
Therefore, this study aimed to obtain the most informative and parsimonious clusters of risk factors, i.e., personal, familial and societal, in a sample of Korean adoptees adopted internationally using latent class analysis. The second aim was to examine whether the identified classes differed in terms of individual and familial characteristics. The current study employed a secondary analysis of the data from the Fact-Finding Survey on Korean International Adoptees, which the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) carried out by commission from the Ministry of Health and Welfare in South Korea in 2013.
The results showed variations in the patterns and levels of stressors and protective factors reported by adoptees. Latent class analysis revealed a 3-class solution: low stress high protective class, high stress low protective class, and a moderate discrimination- protective factor class. Multinomial regression analysis further showed that the three classes differed meaningfully on mental health and life satisfaction scores. These findings highlight the disparities in levels of vulnerability and protective factors and the need for specific interventions that address the needs of Korean international adoptees.
WED July 11, 2018
10:30 am
Salle Mont-Royal