Childhood Adoption: Long-Term Effects in Adulthood

Abstract

Clinicians and researchers have characterized early life experiences as permanent and stable influences on the personality and subsequent life experiences of an individual. Recent conceptualizations have suggested that personal and environmental factors influencing development are not deterministic. Multiple pathways into adulthood are possible. Adoption is one potential early life stressor that may illustrate the usefulness of such conceptualizations for assessing long-term effects in adulthood. Previous studies of adoption have characterized the effects of adoption into adolescence and young adulthood. The purpose of this study was to provide an initial assessment of the long-term impact of adoption. The participants were taken from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging. From the original sample, we identified a subsample of 60 pairs of twins who were separated and reared apart, with one member being raised by a biological parent or parents and the other by an adoptive parent or parents with no biological relationship. A series of univariate and multivariate analyses were undertaken to assess the elements associated with being reared in either an adoptive home or the home of biological parent(s). The results suggest few significant effects of adoption on the adult adjustment of adoptees. In particular, the results reflect the important mediating role of childhood socioeconomic status, suggesting that the stress of adoption itself is mediated by the type of rearing environment provided by the adoption process.

Genetic and Environmental Influences on Adult Life Outcomes: Evidence from the Texas Adoption Project

“…Most studied adjustment in childhood or adolescence, but some looked at adults-mostly under age 30. There have been a few recent studies of adoptees at later ages, including a British study (Collishaw et al 1998) that assessed adoptee adjustment at age 33, and a Swedish study (Smyer et al 1998) that involved 60 pairs of older twins (mean age 56), one of whom had been adopted away and one reared by the biological parent. Wierzbicki's meta-analysis of adoption outcome studies concluded that: (1) adoptees have more adjustment problems than biological children in similar families, although fewer than a birth mother's other children kept and reared by her; (2) the problems are predominantly of an externalizing kind (truancy, fighting, lying, stealing, substance abuse, and the like);…”

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).…”

Adoption

“…In a recent article, my colleagues and I have argued that adoption research can usefully be placed within two theoretical frameworks: stress and coping literature and life-span developmental psychology (Smyer, Gatz, Simi, & Pedersen, 1998). In each case, we are trying to place the topic of adoption within bigger theoretical boxes to improve our understanding of both adoption and the larger theories.…”