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Background: Adoption research has tended to focus on associated emotional and developmental challenges. There is little research on how adoptees experience counselling training and its personal and professional impact on adoptees. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the counselling training experiences of four counsellors who were adopted as babies (under 1 year of age). Methods: One‐to‐one semi‐structured interviews were conducted with two psychodynamically trained counsellors and two integratively trained counsellors. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse the training experiences of adoptees, and the personal and professional impact of training. Findings: Four group experiential themes were identified: disclosure; place in world; relationships; and reflexivity. Implications for Practice: The findings contribute to the growing body of research on counsellor training and provide insights into adoptees' experiences of counselling training. These insights enable improvements in the provision of such training by counselling training providers to adoptees, and in the provision of the specialist training either required or recommended to provide adoption support. The research also furthers the understanding of adoptees' experiences more generally and may also help noncounsellor adoptees deal with issues perceived as related to their adoption as well as others who face similar issues, due to their own lived experiences. Conclusion: Both modalities of counselling training helped participants deal with difficulties presented by their adoptions, in particular regarding identity and relationships, affording opportunities for growth and healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenges of caring for children with early life adversity have been identified as contributing to feelings of compassion fatigue (CF)—an emotional disconnection resulting from repeated exposure to another's trauma. Although extensive studies have focused on contributors to trauma-inducing workplace stress and well-being, research on trauma-related stress in the home, especially in adoptive parent populations, is relatively underexplored. This study aimed to understand how adoptive parents make sense of their experiences of parenting adopted children, identify core components of CF, understand parents' perceptions of contributing factors and explore wider relational impacts. Parents were recruited from Adoption UK via email invite. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve parents to form a holistic picture of adoptive parents' experiences. Data were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Findings yielded three overarching and interrelated themes: (i) a parent not a therapist; (ii) strained connections; and (iii) support is a mirage. Findings support recent literature highlighting the reality of CF in adoptive parents and the need to develop more preventative structures and responsive systems of support adapted to the needs of adopted children but also the unique needs of their families to help prevent mental health crises across the family and adoption breakdowns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children adopted from public care are more likely to experience emotional and behavioural problems. We investigated two aspects of emotion recognition that may be associated with these outcomes, including discrimination accuracy of emotions and response bias, in a mixed-method, multi-informant study of 4-to-8-year old children adopted from local authority care in the UK (N = 42). We compared adopted children's emotion recognition performance to that of a comparison group of children living with their birth families, who were matched by age, sex, and teacher-rated total difficulties on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, N = 42). We also examined relationships between adopted children's emotion recognition skills and their pre-adoptive histories of early adversity (indexed by cumulative adverse childhood experiences), their parent- and teacher-rated emotional and behavioural problems, and their parents' coded warmth during a Five Minute Speech Sample. Adopted children showed significantly worse facial emotion discrimination accuracy of sad and angry faces than non-adopted children. Adopted children's discrimination accuracy of scared and neutral faces was negatively associated with parent-reported behavioural problems, and discrimination accuracy of angry and scared faces was associated with parent- and teacher-reported emotional problems. Contrary to expectations, children who experienced more recorded pre-adoptive early adversity were more accurate in identifying negative emotions. Warm adoptive parenting was associated with fewer behavioural problems, and a lower tendency for children to incorrectly identify faces as angry. Study limitations and implications for intervention strategies to support adopted children's emotion recognition and psychological adjustment are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many adopted children face challenges at school and college which adversely affect their experience and attainment. Without effective post-adoption support, they are at an increased risk of being excluded from or opting out of education. While this has been confirmed by research, there has been less discussion of the problems children face and the services they find helpful. This is especially the case for those over the age of 16 (the statutory school leaving age in the UK). To explore this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five adopted young people aged between 16 and 19. A thematic analysis of their responses identified four factors that help them continue in post-16 education: (1) a positive self-identity; (2) supportive people; (3) supportive approaches; and (4) supportive systems. Participants identified the benefits of staff appreciating the needs of adopted children and the features that promote an 'adoption-friendly' ethos in schools and colleges. The implications of these observations for understanding the educational needs of adopted young people, practice development and future research are discussed. Attention is drawn to the importance of multi-agency work and the role of adopted young people in steering and co-producing effective support in educational settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study has two aims: to explore the experiences and impact of adoption among five adults (three males and two females, all over the age of 55) adopted from mother and baby homes in the UK and Ireland, and to establish each participant's state of mind (SOM) with regards to attachment using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) (George, Kaplan and Main, 1985–1996). It makes use of all information gained from the AAI by analysing the interview transcripts in two ways: (1) using the AAI scoring system (Main, Goldwyn and Hesse, 2003) to assess SOM; and (2) thematic analysis of the transcripts to produce an inductive set of themes. It was found that all participants had an insecure SOM with regards to attachment. For four out of the five participants, this was unresolved/disorganised, and the category 'preoccupied' was the most prevalent underlying three-way classification. Qualitative analysis of transcripts identified four overarching themes: (1) identity and belonging; (2) trauma; (3) 'silenced' coping; and (4) adverse parenting which reflected their experiences of adoption. The findings indicate that the participants were highly susceptible to trauma associated with loss. They also highlight the importance of suitable adoption placements and vetting of potential adopters. The clinical and research implications of the results and their contribution to the broader discussion of trauma related to adoption are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of adult outcomes of infant domestic adoptions are considered: the range of psychological and behavioural outcomes recorded, the current state of knowledge summarised and the importance of the chosen comparison groups discussed. The social context of infant adoptions is described. Findings from our follow-ups of British infant adoptions in the post-World War 11 period are then briefly reported and set alongside the previous studies. In these follow-ups, infant adopted children were tracked up to mid-life and compared with others born in similar circumstances and with those raised in two-parent families. We summarise findings on the long-term influence of factors in the prenatal period and in the adoptive home environment. We discuss how rearing in adoptive homes may provide protective effects in relation to internalising problems, but may not be as protective in relation to externalising outcomes. Implications for adoption policy and practice are drawn out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much is hypothesised but little is known about the effects of early adversity on school experience, academic attainment and career aspiration for children and young people adopted from care. Drawing on data from Wave 1 of the Youth (10‒15 years old) Questionnaire (n = 4899) from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Survey (UKHLS), also known as Understanding Society, this study explored differences between young people adopted (n = 22) and a matched comparison group (n = 110) on measures of educational and occupational aspirations and psychological well-being. Adopted young people reported higher externalising and total difficulties scores (based on the SDQ, Goodman, 1997) than the general population comparison group, but equivalent internalising symptoms. Adopted children were more likely to show an intention to seek full-time work at the end of compulsory schooling. These findings align with previous research regarding the psychological well-being of adopted children, contribute new knowledge about the aspirations of young people adopted from care and highlight methodological issues when utilising large-scale panel survey data for narrowly defined sub-groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study investigated whether sibling relationships influenced the outcomes of a sample of adoptive placements in England and Wales that had broken down postorder or were in crisis. Method: The study used secondary analysis drawing on in-depth interviews with 41 families who had experienced an adoption disruption and 42 families who described the adoptive placement as being in crisis in England and in Wales. The families contained 214 adopted and birth children. Results: Siblings placed together were statistically more likely to disrupt in comparison with sequential placements. Only 18 of the 83 families described normal sibling relationships. Placements intended to maintain sibling relationships had not done so. Conclusion: Assessments need to pay more attention to sibling dynamics. Children's relationships might be better supported by separate placements with planned contact. Interventions are needed to improve sibling relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the wider context in which the national evaluation of the Adoption Support Fund (ASF) was delivered and raise concerns about the sustainability of the early outcomes.Design/methodology/approach The paper briefly summarises the outcomes of a two-year mixed-methods evaluation. This included a two-wave postal survey (n=792) and follow-up (n=481), an online survey of adopters (n=586) and professionals (providers n=50, local authority staff n=124) and in-depth family interviews. The focus of the discussion on sustainability is drawn from the qualitative research of 10 local authority case studies based on 86 interviews with adoption teams and 33 providers and the perspectives of parents.Findings Whilst the ASF showed modest early outcomes for families in terms of improved mental health and wellbeing without the scaffolding of wider support of services able to understand the complex lifelong needs of adoptive children and their families, the sustainability of the benefits of therapeutic support is questioned. Adoption teams struggled with the increased burden of administration of the fund, their knowledge of therapeutic interventions, an evidence base and quality of provision from a market that is difficult to regulate. In a society that is failing to meet the mental health and wellbeing needs of children generally, how can a single intervention meet the needs of a very vulnerable group?Research limitations/implications Research and evaluation on interventions in children's social care could be more systems aware and instead of narrowly focusing on outcomes pay attention to the complex network of services that interlink to support vulnerable children and their families and the restraints on resources that they are working with.Social implications To prevent adoption breakdown and increase recruitment of adopters, support for adoptive families needs to be improved beyond the current scope of the ASF. A wide range of services are required to support adopted children particularly as they grow into adolescence. While families have the right to live independently of social services, the awareness of their needs throughout public organisations should be raised particularly in schools.Originality/value This paper represents the views of the evaluators at TIHR of the ASF beyond the scope of the original evaluation. It reflects on the wider context of the role out of the Fund and raises important questions about the failure to support the mental health and wellbeing needs of the most vulnerable children in society. It is an organisation reflection drawing on early research in children's social care from its archive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the common theoretical ground between disability studies and adoption studies and between the cultural positions of adoptees and disabled people. The author forwards the social model of disability, championed by impaired activists and scholars in the United Kingdom in the mid-1970s, as a basis for discussing socially disabling cultures and practices that affect adopted people. The social model posits that, while people may have varying levels of impairment, all disability is socially constructed within societies that only permit those with abilities considered "normal" to access everyday experiences. In such societies, it is the impaired who are forced to adjust to the norms of society instead of society recognizing the needs of all people. The author applies the concept of the social model to adoption, theorizing how adoption practices and cultures disable adopted people by denying them access to and control over birth histories, cultures, and family relationships within discourses on the "right to know" one's biological origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting has been conceptualized to mediate or moderate children's adaptation to family stress. Our study expanded the literature to determine, within the adoptive context, how non-child-related family stress (NCR-family stress; e.g., parent's problems at work) and parenting styles were related to internalizing and externalizing problems in school-age girls adopted from China. Using data from the third wave of a longitudinal study, 651 school-age girls were identified for the current analysis. On average, the girls were 9.3 years old ( SD = 2.7) and were adopted at 15.6 months ( SD = 13.8). Data on NCR-family stress, parenting styles and child behavior problems were collected from the adoptive mothers using the social problem questionnaire, parenting styles and dimensions questions, and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/6-18), respectively. After controlling for age at adoption, age, the adoptive mother's education level, household income, and the girls' corresponding behavior problems from the second wave of data (2 years prior), we found that that the association between NCR-family stress and the adopted Chinese girls' internalizing problems and externalizing problems was mediated by authoritarian parenting and moderated by authoritative parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the highlights of the British Association for Adoption and Fostering's (BAAF) Annual Health Group Conference that was held in June 2012 in Birmingham, England. According to the author, professional neuro-linguistic programming coach, trainer, adoptive parent, and author Helen Oakwater gave a strong description of how early childhood sensory experiences and trauma affect later behavior.

A feasibility study was conducted to examine the usability of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and its coding system with 10 adolescents presenting with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). Given that the measure was deemed usable with all 10 participants, the study then sought to identify the attachment status of the sample. Three transcripts were subjected to inter-rater reliability checks. All transcripts indicated a high level of insecurity, with five participants classified as organized-insecure and five assigned to the cannot classify category. However, a number of issues were raised in the administration and coding of the transcripts concerning participant distress, coding of inferred carer behaviour and experiences of unresolved loss or trauma. We also identified two new phenomena, namely extreme derogation and extreme detachment, and discuss possible development of the existing classification system. Our data indicates that cannot classify attachment status in this population may represent a transitional stage to becoming organized, and that organized insecurity may offer a route to future security. Further minimal adaptations to the AAI may promote the validity of its use with this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) study carried out to examine the effects of early institutional deprivation on the development of adoptees, who were adopted from depriving institutions in Romania into families in Great Britain. It states that the study used systematic and standardized measurements of key behavioral patterns that appear to be precise to institutional deprivation. It discusses the residential institutions such as hospitals and orphanages that provide long-term care for children who were left by their parents. It also discusses the assessment of the children's state when they were taken to Great Britain from Romania. It presents the findings of the deprivation-specific psychological patterns (DSPs) at the age of 11 years.

The article focuses on various methods and measures employed at the 15-year follow-up of the English and Romanian Adoptee (ERA) study done to investigate the development of children adopted into Great Britain families from Romania. It states that the study focused around the possibility of deprivation-specific psychological patterns (DSPs), and involved obtaining DNA for genotyping. It discusses the interviews taken with parents and young people, and mentions that the functioning of children was examined at the time they were about to leave institutional care and travel with the adoptive parents. It discusses the initial measures for children's functioning used in the study including the Denver Developmental Scales, anthropometric measures and measures of physical health.

The article focuses on the development of conduct, emotional and peer problems in the wake of early institutional deprivation in children, as investigated during the English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) study done on the development of children adopted into the Great Britain families from Romania. It states that early institutional deprivation has effects on conduct and emotional problems, with greater effect on emotional problems. It discusses the emotional problems at 11 years of age related to the presence of deprivation-specific psychological patterns (DSPs) such as disinhibited attachment (DA), cognitive impairment (CI), inattention/overactivity (I/O) and quasi-autism (Q-A) at 6 years. It concludes that the prior presence of DSPs was responsible for peer and emotional problems.