Psychological adjustment in adult adoptees: Assessment of distress, depression, and anger.

Cubito, David S.; Brandon, Karen O.

doi:10.1037/h0087856

Cited by 28 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…For example, Cubito and Brandon (2000) examined the history of using mental health services by adult adoptees and discovered that those who were searching for their biological parents were more maladjusted than both non-searchers and those who were reunited with their biological parents. They also found that searchers and those who were reunited with their birth parents were more angry than non-searchers.…”

Section: Mental Health Of Searchersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contact with Birth Parents

Curtis

Pearson

2010

Journal of Social Work

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Adults adopted as infants (N = 130) in the United States were surveyed to determine the degree to which they experienced psychological effects of adoption during adolescence and adulthood and the relationship between psychological effects and whether or not they had contact with their birth parents.• Findings: Those who were in contact reported more psychological issues than those who were not in contact. A qualitative analysis of comments made by the respondents demonstrated differences in the types of issues associated with difficulties depending upon whether they had contact with their birth parents or not.

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Section: Mental Health Of Searchersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contact with Birth Parents

Curtis

Pearson

2010

Journal of Social Work

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“…A handful of studies have also explored the characteristics of adoptees who choose not to seek 1 (Aumend & Barrett, 1984; Borders, Penny, & Portnoy, 2000; Cubito & Obremski Brandon, 2000). These studies have shown that nonseekers are just as well-adjusted as adoptees who do seek (Cubito & Obremski Brandon, 2000). Deciding whether or not to look for information or establish contact is a unique experience for all adoptees.…”

Section: What Is Information Seeking?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Adoption Communicative Openness in Information Seeking Among Adoptees From Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood

Skinner-Drawz

Wrobel

Grotevant

et al. 2011

Journal of Family Communication

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Adoption Communicative Openness was examined as a predictor of information seeking from adolescence to emerging adulthood in a group of adoptees who did not have direct contact with birth relatives during adolescence. Changes in information seeking intentions and behaviors between adolescence and emerging adulthood were also examined. Data from 119 infant-placed adoptees and their adoptive mothers were used from Waves 2 (1996–2000) and 3 (2005–2008) of the Minnesota-Texas Adoption Research Project (Grotevant & McRoy, 1998). Adoptive mothers’ Communicative Openness was positively associated with degree of information seeking in emerging adulthood. Degree of information seeking between adolescence (Wave 2) and emerging adulthood (Wave 3) increased for the majority of adoptees (62.2%). Approximately 16% of adoptees experienced no change in information seeking and 22% of adoptees experienced a decrease in information seeking. Females were more likely to exhibit a greater increase in information seeking change between Waves 2 and 3 and information seeking at Wave 3 than males. Results suggest that adoptee information seeking is a dynamic process that takes place over several life stages and that open communication about adoption within the adoptive family supports adoptee information seeking.

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“…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).…”

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confidence: 97%

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

2014

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Adoption is unanimously considered a lifelong process, but adulthood and parenthood are life cycle stages that up to now have been explored only marginally. The principal aim of the present study is twofold: first, to analyze whether and how parenthood might lead the adoptee and his/her partner to reinterpret the adoption history and, second, to verify whether the attitudes of the two partners concerning adoption are similar or complementary. Thirty-four couples consisting of one adopted and one non-adopted partner, now parents, were interviewed and a graphic instrument, the Double Moon Test, was administered. Results revealed that most couples showed a shared attitude in valorizing both the origin background and the adoptive family. However, in a number of cases a divergent position emerged, highlighting the crucial role of the non-adopted partner in encouraging the adoptee to revisit his/her adoption history. Overall, the practical relevance of the research findings is discussed and future direction of research are suggested.Adoption cannot be considered a single life event, as it has to be properly viewed as a lifelong process (Brodzinsky, Schechter, & Marantz Henig, 1992): Each specific turning point allows for a reinterpretation of the adoption history and personal identity and a negotiation of the family relational network.

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Psychological adjustment in adult adoptees: Assessment of distress, depression, and anger.

Cited by 28 publications

References 15 publications

Contact with Birth Parents

Contact with Birth Parents

The Role of Adoption Communicative Openness in Information Seeking Among Adoptees From Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood

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

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