Attachment Representations and Adoption Outcome: On the Use of Narrative Assessments to Track the Adaptation of Previously Maltreated Children in Their New Families

Steele, Miriam; Hodges, Jill; Kaniuk, Jeanne; Steele, Howard; Asquith, Kay; Hillman, Saul; Wrobel, Gretchen Miller; Neil, Elsbeth

doi:10.1002/9780470741276.ch9

Cited by 16 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Fourteen records included in this review reported on the findings of six unique studies (a) in which NSSTs were used as a measure of child attachment per se (section Child Attachment), (b) to gain insight into other child characteristics potentially influencing or influenced by child attachment as assessed by NSSTs (section Child Characteristics Potentially Influencing or Influenced by Child Attachment), and (c) investigating the role of parental attachment in developmental change in adopted children's IWMs as assessed by NSSTs (section Role of Parental Attachment in Developmental Change in Children's IWMs). All but four of these 14 papers reported on quantitative findings: the Steele et al ( 2009 , 2010 ) papers adopted a qualitative approach, whereas the Steele et al ( 2003 , 2008 ) papers adopted a mixed-methods approach.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Quantitative and qualitative studies have shown that adoptive parents' attachment representations play an important role in determining the newly formed relationship with their adopted child across time (Steele et al, 2003 , 2008 , 2009 , 2010 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two studies, reported in six papers (Steele et al, 2003 , 2007a , 2008 , 2009 , 2010 ; Pace et al, 2012 ), tapped into more fine-grained aspects of children's attachment and associations with parental attachment. Pace et al ( 2012 ), in addition to—and, importantly, in contrast to—the categorical approach, found significant associations between maternal AAI states of mind, assessed 40 days after placement, and MCAST global scales, administered 7–8 months after placement.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Making Sense of Adopted Children's Internal Reality Using Narrative Story Stem Techniques: A Mixed-Methods Synthesis

2018

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Background: Extant research on adopted children has consistently shown that early adverse experiences confer vulnerability to myriad developmental problems, which may be mitigated by the “natural intervention” of adoption itself and/or by treatment efforts. Narrative Story Stems Techniques (NSSTs) have been used in research and clinical practice to assess adopted children's developmental profiles in middle childhood. However, no study to date has systematically reviewed this body of literature.Objectives: This paper presents a systematic review of research using NSSTs to make sense of adopted children's internal reality (i.e., perceptions, experiences, and representations), in terms of exploring theoretical perspectives as well as critically synthesizing findings and discussing implications.Methods: State-of-the-art PRISMA guidelines were followed throughout, resulting in the identification of 18 records, comprising six qualitative, 10 quantitative, and two mixed-methods primary papers, reporting on seven unique studies. All records were assessed with regard to methodological quality. Data were extracted and synthesized narratively using an integrated design for mixed-methods synthesis.Results: The findings suggest that, although NSST research with adopted children is still in its infancy, there is relatively robust evidence supporting the use of these techniques to assess and track developmental change in adopted children's attachment representations. In this regard, the non-verbal (aside from the verbal) approach to children's complex internal reality, as well as a more fine-grained (aside from a categorical or dimensional) perspective on children's NSST responses, are highlighted as particularly valuable in tailoring treatment to a particular child's needs and vulnerabilities. Moreover, several promising avenues for future research and clinical application of NSSTs, including the extension to affect-regulatory and mentalizing perspectives, may further our knowledge and understanding of, and thus treatment efforts toward, these often vulnerable children. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution, due to the limited number of studies characterized by considerable methodological heterogeneity.Conclusions: In light of the findings of the present review, we strongly advocate future studies using NSSTs in theoretically and empirically consistent ways, in order to gain a better understanding of adopted children's internal reality in terms of attachment representations, affect-regulatory strategies, and mentalizing processes, and to track changes therein.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Making Sense of Adopted Children's Internal Reality Using Narrative Story Stem Techniques: A Mixed-Methods Synthesis

2018

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“…There is a great deal of literature on adoptive parents. In relation to the literature on attachment maternal sensitivity (Stams et al 2002), the adopter's own representation of attachment indexed by the Adult Attachment Interview (Steele et al 2009), and attachment security scripts and parental reflective functioning have all been investigated (Palacios et al 2009).…”

Section: -1-84905-028-9mentioning

confidence: 99%

Rebuilding Lives after Domestic Violence

Oravecz

2011

Child & Family Social Work

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“…In relation to the literature on attachment maternal sensitivity (Stams et al . 2002), the adopter's own representation of attachment indexed by the Adult Attachment Interview (Steele et al . 2009), and attachment security scripts and parental reflective functioning have all been investigated (Palacios et al .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Adopting after Infertility. Messages from Practice, Research and Personal Experience

Selwyn

2011

Child & Family Social Work

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Attachment Representations and Adoption Outcome: On the Use of Narrative Assessments to Track the Adaptation of Previously Maltreated Children in Their New Families

Cited by 16 publications

References 18 publications

Making Sense of Adopted Children's Internal Reality Using Narrative Story Stem Techniques: A Mixed-Methods Synthesis

Making Sense of Adopted Children's Internal Reality Using Narrative Story Stem Techniques: A Mixed-Methods Synthesis

Rebuilding Lives after Domestic Violence

Adopting after Infertility. Messages from Practice, Research and Personal Experience

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