Adjustment of Adopted Adolescents in Their Families

The adjustment of adopted adolescents has been studied in the U.S. and England, but few other European countries have conducted research into this topic. As countries differ greatly in their cultural practices, a comparative study of the adjustment of internationally adopted teenagers in 4 European countries (France, Italy, Spain, Norway) is planned. The adjustment of teens and their families will be studied in relation to the openness of communication related to adoption within the families.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the status of internationally adopted adolescents in relation to the characteristics of their families, and to explore the similarities and differences in 4 different European countries. Parents and adolescents will complete questionnaires which incorporate and adapt many standard measures. The parent questionnaire includes components of : a) Family Adjustment and Cohesion Scale (FACES), b) Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire for parents (SDQ-parent), c) Parent Stress Index (PSI), d) Adoption Satisfaction Questionnaire (ASQ), d) Brodzinsky Scale (openness in family communication related to adoption), and e) basic demographic information. The adolescent questionnaire includes elements of : a) SDQ-adolescent, b) Health Behavior in School Children questionnaire (HBSC), c) Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), d) Lee Scale (Discrimination Scale for Adoptees). It is hoped that the study will permit a better understanding of the experiences of families and their children after international adoption. This knowledge will help potential adoptive families as well as families who have already adopted. This information is not yet available in a European context. In addition, the information will be valuable to adoption professionals. Moreover, the opportunity to compare outcomes and experiences of families and adolescents in 4 European countries will allow a better understanding of the contribution of different cultural contexts to these outcomes. It is hypothesized that different cultural practices and beliefs about adoption likely impact the experience of adoption by adolescents and parents. A better understanding of this dynamic will be useful clinically as well as at the community level and beyond.