The emotional experience of being internationally adopted: A qualitative study with Nepalese children adopted in Spain

Abstract

Research in inter-country adoption is usually focused on being able to determine whether adopted children have more or fewer behavioral problems than non-adopted children. However, there is not enough to enable us to understand the feelings and bonds of the often complex life situations of being an internationally adopted child. This qualitative study with Nepalese child adoptees in Spain explores their inner world with projective methods. The results show that assessment with projective methods reveals dynamics and feelings experienced by adopted children. This can be a useful tool to better understand their psychological needs and properly design professional interventions.

Attachment representations in international adolescent adoptees in Spain, over 8 to 17 years of placement

“…With regard to the themes of the stories, the most notable finding is that subjects with insecure attachment or, generally speaking, children who have been adopted at a later age and with adverse care during their first year of life or up until the time of placement, are the ones who show a significant presence of themes of negative content (79.4%; p = 0.027*). These results tally with those of other studies by Hodges et al (2003), Steele et al (2010) and Ballús and Pérez-Testor (2016). Earlier relationships affect the new relationship since the effects of internal working models of attachment developed in situations of neglect or abuse are carried over to the new placements (Hodges et al, 2003; Hopkins, 2000).…”

“…The semi-structured interview format was chosen because of the need for flexibility within a clinical epistemological framework so that parents could share the most meaningful aspects of their experiences, although, for the purposes of the research, information on certain specific points was also required. The interview was designed for Ballús and Pérez-Testor (2016) in order to collect data and information related to pre-placement and post-placement history. It consisted of 30 items and was organized into seven sections: pre-placement experiences, post-placement experiences, behavior, affective relationships, developmental aspects, school performance, and parent–child discussion of adoption.…”

“…The test was administered in two main parts (Ballús and Pérez-Testor, 2016): (1) Stories and (2) Identifications.…”

“…The assessment focused on two main identifications (Ballús and Pérez-Testor, 2016): the little pig Patte Noire and No One. Identification with Patte Noire, the protagonist who takes action, suggests that the child is able to deal with the situations depicted.…”

Thematic Analysis in Social Work: A Case Study

“…Qualitative methods are an established component of research models in various branches of inquiry, including social work, and have been used by social work researchers studying a range of dimensions, such as the family [11][12][13][14], women [15][16][17], children [18][19][20][21], and mental health services [18,[22][23][24]. Thus, qualitative research methods have served to develop various domains of social work intervention ( Table 1).…”