If adoption overall is so detrimental, and adoptive parents as a lot so self serving, why are adoptees....?

Question

so normal?

Psychology Today published the latest longitudinal studies with these results: Adoptees are just as well-adjusted, socially skilled and intellectually able as their non-adopted peers, according to research published by psychologist L. DiAnne Borders of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Another study, the largest on American adoptive families so far - found that the teens reported positive self identities, strong adoptive family ties and sound psychological health at the same rates as their non-adopted siblings.

These studies found adoptees aren't so different from other kids - and may even have special strengths. (In the large study mentioned earlier, conducted at MN Search Institute, adoptees rated themselves less withdrawn and less likely to encounter social problems than did non-adopted peers.)

Two key factors also influence how adoptees thrive: the timing of adoption (earlier=better) and the quality of adoptive parenting.

Answer 1

I'll see your "Popular" magazine, and raise you a professional one:

"Human studies likewise confirm the notion that early experiences, possibly mediated by oxytocin, are related to later social behaviors, finds a study reported in the Nov. 22, 2005, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Vol. 102, No. 47, pages 16,907-16,908).  There, University of Wisconsin-Madison doctoral student Alison Wismer Fries and colleagues compared urine levels of oxytocin and a related hormone, vasopressin, in two sets of children - one raised from birth with their biological parents and one adopted after living in orphanages in Russia and Romania - following contact with their mothers.  The levels of oxytocin rose in the biological children but remained the same in the adopted children, they found.  These findings suggest there may be biological underpinnings for the observation that some adopted children, in particular those from deprived circumstances, have difficulty forming secure relationships, despite living in loving homes, the team notes."

Answer 2

Special strengths eh?   I always knew we had superpowers lol

How many adoptees were studied - nobody asked me to take part

Newsflash - Adoptees ARE well adjusted, socially skilled and intellectually able, we don't need a study to see that.

what's your point, exactly

Answer 3

maybe in some cases but not all. there are adoptive parents that are abusive.

Answer 4

Um...just because a magazine says this does not mean that there are some who have issues with their adoption. Like i said before we can't tell someone who we don't know how to feel about something. All we can do offer advice and some information.

Answer 5

According to the Internet Journal of Academic Physician Assistants in the study entitled

Long-Term Effects Of Adoption:  An Empirical Study Of Adult Adoptees,

"Results supported the major hypothesis that adoptees would score higher than non-adoptees on Alienation variables and that non-adoptees would score higher than adoptees on Affiliation variables. As well, it was determined through a predictive discriminant analysis that classification into adoption status categories could be accomplished quite accurately from the set of variables that were significantly related to it. Qualitative analyses of interview questions produced frequently appearing themes that amplify and extend the quantitative results."

So, even though the adoptees generally fell within norms, signficiant differences regarding alienation and affiliation issues existed.  So, even though adoptees are normal, the study also supports the existence the alienation issues being common to adoptees.

Answer 6

I'm confused where you are getting the idea that "Adoption overall is so detrimental"  and that "adoptive parents as a lot so self serving".

Answer 7

It's great to hear the positive news regarding adoptions.  :-))

Answer 8

As an RN with a Master's degree, I have a little experience with research studies and how they can be manipulated to show just about anything one would like them to.

I find these studies to be highly suspect and I've seen other studies as well as have loads of anecdotal evidence to refute these findings.

What's your point, anyway?  That people like me and other adoptees must be wrong about how we feel about being adopted...after all, there's a study that says we couldn't possibly feel hurt, lost, isolated, and have abandonment issues.  I only wish it worked like that.  

If I close my eyes and wish hard enough, all my depression and pain will magically disappear!   NOT!

Answer 9

The whole adoption process is what's tough. It's necessary though.

Answer 10

I only agree that adoptees and bio kids are no different at things like.....

Being able to have a good education

Going on the have families of thier own etc

BUT............adoptees have been told things about their past that no other children have (unless adopted). How do kids deal with that? Sometimes they dont, sometimes they do. Some people choose to live with being adopted, some people choose to let it take over thier lives.

Everyone deals differently so its wrong to say that we are the same as other kids in every single way.

Answer 11

Right on!  Something postive about adoptees.  Thank You.

Surprise.  Surprise.  Good Parenting Works.

Thanks mom and dad.

Answer 12

The keyword in your whole dissertation is in the last sentence ... "quality."  Quality parenting will obviously make a huge difference with any child, adopted or not.  These studies sound like another waste of my taxes.

BTW, I come from a whole family of adopted kids and no one ever approached any of us to take part in this "largest" study of American adoptive families.  Additionally, I spent nearly 10 years counseling prospective adoptive parents and facilitating reunions between adoptees and birthparents.  I guess I must have been out when they called me to take part in the "largest" study of American adoptive families.

Answer 13

Okay, a lot of assumptions here, especially the idea that "adoptive parents as a lot [are] so self serving." Also, you don't cite or quote anything, so it is pretty hard to judge. If you look at a more recent study by the same author (or at least I think it is more recent, because I'm not quite sure what you were referring to), you will see that she posits 5 different stages an adoptee goes through in  thinking about adoption -- and in adolescence I'd think almost all would be in the first phase. (see below for links)

Be all of that as it may, I'm not sure what you are trying to prove. Can adoptees not both be "normal" and psychologically healthy and also feel a sense of loss? It seems as if in the way you framed the question, you are trying to discount the feelings of adult adoptees.

*********************

And just to present some data on the other "side" (not taking sides necessarily, just playing devil's adovocate):

"Compared with nonadopted controls, adoptees showed more total behavior problems (d, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.13-0.24), more externalizing behavior problems (d, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.16-0.31), and more internalizing behavior problems (d, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.07-0.26), all in heterogeneous sets of studies, but all effect sizes were small. Also, adoptees were overrepresented in mental health referrals (d, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.57-0.86) in a heterogeneous set of studies, and this effect size was large."

Femmie Juffer, PhD; Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, PhD. "Behavior Problems and Mental Health Referrals of International Adoptees: A Meta-analysis." JAMA. 2005;293:2501-2515.

<>.http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/ful...

Answer 14

"maybe in some cases but not all. there are adoptive parents that are abusive."  But in some normal biological families there are abusive parents as well... it is all in how you are raised.  Yes, there are issues with adoption, that is 100% proven, but those issues CAN be overcome.

Answer 15

Have you ever read the work of DR. David Kirshner?

Interesting stuff.  Might want to pick up a copy.

http://www.adoptionunchartedwaters.com/a...

Answer 16

So, are you shocked that adoptees have social lives?  Hey, guys, just so that you know, um...if you get friends, that means you can't have any adoption related depression anymore...or uncomfortable feelings of any kind.  Mkay?  Cuz it just doesn't make sense to Ms. Joslin here that you might have some not-fun feelings, and not be socially stunted, at the same time.

Answer 17

Psychology Today is hardly a medical journal. I would have to see the data from the actual study that was posted in a journal. I say this about any article that quotes "Doctors" and interprets studies. The people writing these article are trying to sell magazines. I've read about "studies" done, that are ethically wrong and would never be allowed. One must read these with caution and realize the source.

To get reliable sources go to: American Journal of Community Psychology, American Journal of Psychology, The,  Annual review of psychology, Applied cognitive psychology , Australian journal of psychology, The British journal of clinical psychology ... just to name a few.

ETA:

Psychology Today is not a peer review journal it is listed under "popular literature" on the rutgers site - just happened to pull them up.

ETA:

Psychologist L. DiAnne Borders of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, has an adopted son, I would find her research possibly biased, and didn't find any sources to back up her claim.

http://www.usaweekend.com/99_issues/9901...

Answer 18

It most cases these kids come out better off because they rise above and have to mature and be resposible at earlier ages, which helps them to become well adjusted and resposible adults!

Answer 19

I just spoke with a friend today who is 59 and tomorrow is his 59th anniversary of being adopted.  He is so grateful to his parents and never searched for his natural parents.  He would never change what happened to him and truly loves his adoptive parents!  They were indeed his MOTHER & FATHER!  He may not have grown from their bodies but he definately grew in their hearts.

Answer 20

I teach freshman English comp.  One of the first lessons my students get is that they should avoid using words like "all" "always" "never" and "none" in their persuasive writing because they'll almost always be wrong, as it  only takes one counterexample to demolish their argument.

Not all adoptive parents are selfish and entitled, not all  adoptees have issues, not all adoptees are well-adjusted, not all statistics have actual validity, not all studies are performed with no particular outcome in mind, and not all journals are equal.

Go to the back of the class.

Answer 21

I'm not getting this. Who says adoption is detrimental and that adoptive parents are self serving. I'll be surprised if you find that in the professional literature. By the way, Psychology Today is not a professional journal.