Adoption, attachment, and relationship concerns: A study of adult adoptees

Abstract

Given ongoing controversy regarding the psychosocial adjustment of adoptees, this study examined the impact of adoptive status and family experiences on adult attachment security, and the role of attachment in predicting relationship outcomes. Adults who were adopted as infants (N = 144), and a comparison sample of nonadoptees (N = 131), completed measures of attachment security at recruitment and again six months later; other measures assessed parental bonding and adoptees' reunion experiences (Time 1), and relationship variables (e.g., loneliness, relationship quality; Time 2). Insecurity was higher for adoptees and for those reporting negative childhood relationships with parents. For adoptees only, recent relationship difficulties also predicted insecurity. Attachment dimensions were more important than adoptive status in predicting relationship variables, and mediated the effects of adoptive status. The results support the utility of attachment theory in understanding adoptees' relationship concerns. 3Consistent with the suggestion that adoption is a risk factor for general adjustment problems (Verrier, 1993), some studies have shown that adoptees are overrepresented in clinical groups (Wierzbicki, 1993), or fare worse than non-adoptees on variables such as self-esteem, depression and anxiety (e.g., Borders, Penny, & Portnoy, 2000;Cubito & Obremski-Brandon, 2000;Tieman, van der Ende, & Verhulst, 2005). However, other studies comparing adoptees and non-adoptees have found no differences in psychological distress (Collishaw, Maughan, & Pickles, 1998) or life satisfaction (Borders et al., 2000). Indeed, recent reviews and meta-analyses suggest that most adoptees are well-adjusted, although there is evidence of over-representation in mental health settings and small increases in rates of behavior problems Nickman et al., 2005;van IJzendoorn, Juffer, & Klein Poelhuis, 2005). Hence, the claim that adoption is a risk factor for general adjustment difficulties remains controversial. Further, the reason for the mixed findings is unclear: Methodological (sampling and measurement) differences between studies may be one factor, but another possibility is that the link between adoption and adjustment depends on a range of factors, both biological (e.g., prenatal drug exposure) and psychosocial (e.g., functioning within the adoptive family).Despite the mixed findings for general adjustment, there are convincing arguments linking adoption to increased risk of interpersonal problems. Issues concerning loss are inherently relational, and are central to the adoption experience: Adoptees have lost their birth parents, and more generally, a sense of being biologically tied to significant others (Brodzinsky, 1990;Jones, 1997;Schechter & Bertocci, 1990); further, there is a 'status loss' associated with being different (Brodzinsky, 1990). Moreover, in cases where attempted reunions with birth relatives are difficult or unsuccessful, adoptees may experience further loss and rejection. Finally, in comparison to parental lo...

Reunions of Adoptees Who Have Met Both Birth Parents: Post-Reunion Relationships and Factors that Facilitate and Hinder the Reunion Process

“…Participants were 18 adult adoptees (15 females and 3 males) who had taken part in a larger study comparing 144 adoptees and 131 non-adoptees (see Feeney, Passmore, & Peterson, 2007 for more detail about the larger study). These 18 participants were chosen because they were the only ones who had met both their birth mother and their birth father.…”

Adult Adoptees as Partners and Parents: The Joint Task of Revisiting the Adoption History

“…Some studies compared adopted and non-adopted young adults, mainly focusing on mental health and psychological well-being; however, results of these studies are not consistent and have exhibited contradictory findings. On one hand, a number of studies demonstrated that adult adoptees are more likely to be at higher risk for psychopathological outcomes and lower level of psychological well-being (Cubito & Obremski Brandon, 2000;Cantor-Grace & Pedersen, 2007;Feeney, Passmore, & Peterson, 2007;Hjern, von Borczyskowski, Lindblad, & Vinnerljung, 2006;Levy-Shiff, 2001;Passmore, Fogarty, Bourke, & Baker-Evans, 2005;Tieman, van der Ende, & Verhulst, 2005), while other studies failed to find any differences in adjustment and in psychological wellbeing between adopted and non-adopted adults (Borders, Penny, & Portnoy, 2000;Feigelman, 2000;Irhammar & Bengtsson, 2004;Kelly, Towner-Thyrum, Rigby, & Martin, 1998;Smyer, Gatz, Simi, & Pedersen, 1998).…”

Narrative Therapy for Adoption Issues in Families, Couples, and Individuals: Rationale and Approach

“…Baden and Wiley (2007) cite research supporting that adoption issues are mediated not only by intrapsychic variables but also relationships with significant others and the broader society. In the following excerpt, Feeney, Passmore, and Peterson (2007) point out possible cultural influences on the adoption experience and narrative:…”