Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T17:07:18.589Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Adversity and Adjustment in Children in Institutions, Family Foster Care, and Adoption

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 June 2015

Jesús M. Jiménez-Morago ,
Esperanza León  and
Maite Román
Jesús M. Jiménez-Morago
Affiliation:
Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)
Esperanza León*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)
Maite Román
Affiliation:
Universidad de Sevilla (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Esperanza León Manso. Departamento de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación. Facultad de Psicología. Universidad de Sevilla.C/ Camilo José Cela, s/n. Sevilla (Spain).41018. Phone: 954–557668. Fax: 954–559544. E-mail: eleon@us.es
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study’s objective was to identify the adversity profiles of children in different childcare placements, and to analyze their relationship with subsequent psychological adjustment. We studied a group of 230 children 4 to 10 years old indifferent childcare placements (international adoption, institutional care, non-kin foster care, and kinship care), as well as a control group. Information was collected from parent or caregiver interviews and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The results showed that children in the child welfare system had experienced significant adversity before their current placement, especially among institutional care cases and international adoptees. Meanwhile, children in kinship care had experienced less adversity (p < .001; size effects from d > .50 to d > .80). After a period of time in their respective placements, children’s psychological adjustment was generally positive, but children living in institutional care exhibited the most problems and difficulties, followed by non-kin foster care cases (p < .001; size effects from d > .50 to d > .80). Finally, we found that children’s early adversity levels (p < .05; r = .16), age of current placement (p < .01; r = .23), and duration of current placement (p < .05: r = –.19) were all tied to current psychological adjustment.

Keywords

adoptioninstitutional carefoster careadversitypsychological adjustment
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 18 , 2015 , E45
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Amorós, P., & Palacios, J. (2004). Acogimiento familiar [Family foster care]. Madrid, Spain: Alianza Editorial.Google Scholar
Amorós, P., Palacios, J., Fuentes, N., León, E., & Mesas, A. (2003). Familias canguro. Una experiencia de protección a la infancia. [Kangaroo families. A child welfare experience]. Barcelona, Spain: Fundación “la Caixa.” Google Scholar
Atzaba-Poria, N., Pike, A., & Deater-Deckard, K. (2004). Do risk factors for problem behaviour act in a cumulative manner? An examination of ethnic minority and majority children through an ecological perspective. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45, 707–718. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00265.x Google Scholar
Berástegui, A. (2005). La adaptación familiar en adopción internacional: Una muestra de adoptados mayores de tres años en la Comunidad de Madrid. [Familial adaptation in international adoption: A sample of adoptees over three years old in the Autonomous Community of Madrid]. Madrid, Spain: Comunidad de Madrid, Consejo Económico y Social.Google Scholar
Bravo, A., & Del Valle, J. F. (2009). Crisis y revisión del acogimiento residencial: Su papel en la protección infantil [Crisis and review of residential care: Its role in child welfare]. Papeles del Psicólogo, 30(1), 42–52.Google Scholar
Browne, K. (2005). A European survey of the number and characteristics of children less than three years old in residential care at risk of harm. Adoption and Fostering, 29, 23–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/030857590502900405 Google Scholar
Crea, T. M, Barth, R. P., Guo, S., & Brooks, D. (2008). Behavioral outcomes for substance-exposed adopted children: Fourteen years postadoption. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 78(1), 11–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0002-9432.78.1.11 Google Scholar
Cuddeback, G. S. (2004). Kinship family foster care: A methodological and substantive synthesis of research. Children and Youth Services Review, 26, 623–639. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2004.01.014 Google Scholar
De Paúl, J. (2009). La intervención psicosocial en protección infantil en España: Evolución y perspectivas [Psychosocial intervention in the child welfare system in Spain: Evolution and prospects]. Papeles del Psicólogo, 30(1), 4–12.Google Scholar
Del Valle, J. F., & Bravo, A. (2003). La situación del acogimiento familiar en España [The family foster care situation in Spain]. Madrid, Spain: Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales.Google Scholar
Del Valle, J. F., Bravo, A., & López, M. (2009). El acogimiento familiar en España: Implantación y retos actuales [Family foster care in Spain: Implementation and current challenges]. Papeles del Psicólogo, 30(1), 33–41.Google Scholar
Del Valle, J. F., López, M., Monserrat, C., & Bravo, A. (2008). El acogimiento familiar en España. Una evaluación de resultados [Family foster care in Spain. An outcome assessment]. Madrid, Spain: Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales.Google Scholar
Ehrle, J., & Geen, R. (2002). Kin and non-kin foster care – findings from a national survey. Children and Youth Services Review, 24, 15–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0190-7409(01)00166-9 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fernández-Molina, M. (2008). Adopciones especiales. Aportaciones para el seguimiento desde la investigación [Special adoptions. Prospective research findings]. In Berástegui, A. & Gómez-Bengoechea, B. (Coord.s), Los retos de la postadopción: Balance y perspectivas [Postadoption challenges: The current situation and prospects], (pp. 45–58). Madrid, Spain: Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales.Google Scholar
Fernández-Molina, M., Del Valle, J. F., Fuentes, M. J., Bernedo, I., & Bravo, A. (2011). Problemas de conducta de los adolescentes en acogimiento preadoptivo, residencial y con familia extensa [Behavioral problems in adolescents in pre-adoption foster care, residential care, and kinship care]. Psicothema, 23(1), 1–6.Google Scholar
Goodman, R. (1997). The strengths and difficulties questionnaire: A research note. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 581–586. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01545.x Google Scholar
Grotevant, H. D., van Dulmen, M. H., Dunbar, N., Nelson-Christinedaughter, J., Christensen, M., Fan, X., & Miller, B. C. (2006). Antisocial behavior of adoptees and nonadoptees: Prediction from early history and adolescent relationships. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 16(1), 105–131. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2006.00124.x Google Scholar
Gunnar, M. R., van Dulmen, M. H. M., & the International Adoption Project Team (2007). Behavior problems in postinstitutionalized internationally adopted children. Development and Psychopathology, 19, 129–148. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0954579407070071 Google Scholar
Heflinger, C., Simpkins, C., & Combs-Orme, T. (2000). Using the CBCL to determine the clinical status of children in state custody. Children and Youth Services Review, 22(1), 55–73. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0190-7409(99)00073-0 Google Scholar
Hernández-Muela, S., Mulas, F., Téllez de Meneses, M., & Roselló, B. (2003). Niños adoptados: Factores de riesgo y problemática neuropsicológica [Adopted children: Risk factors and neuropsychological issues]. Revista de Neurología, 36(1), 108–117.Google Scholar
Jiménez, J. M., & Palacios, J. (2008). El acogimiento familiar en Andalucía: Procesos familiares, perfiles personales [Family foster care in Andalusia: Family processes, individual profiles]. Granada, Spain: Consejería para la Igualdad y Bienestar Social de la Junta de Andalucía.Google Scholar
Jiménez, J. M., Mata, E., León, E., & Muñoz, A. (2013). Parental stress and children adjustment in kinship foster families. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 16, E39. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/sjp.2013.41 Google Scholar
Juffer, F., Palacios, J., Le Mare, L., Sonuga-Barke, E. J. S., Tieman, W., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., … Verhulst, F. C. (2011). Development of adopted children with histories of early adversity. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 76, 31–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5834.2011.00627.x Google Scholar
Juffer, F., & van IJzendoorn, M. H. (2009). International adoption comes of age: Development of international adoptees from a longitudinal and meta-analytical perspective. In Wrobel, G. M. & Neil, E. (Eds.), International advances in adoption research for practice (pp.169–192). New York, NY: Wiley. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470741276.ch8 Google Scholar
Keller, T. E., Wetherbee, K., Le Prohn, N. S., Payne, V., Sim, K., & Lamont, E. R. (2001). Competencies and problem behaviors of children in family foster care: Variations by kinship placement status and race. Children and Youth Services Review, 23, 915–940. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0190-7409(01)00175-X Google Scholar
Lee, R. M., Seol, K. O., Sung, M., Miller, M. J. (2010). The behavioral development of Korean children in institutional care and international adoptive families. Developmental Psychology, 46, 468–478. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0017358 Google Scholar
León, E.. (2011). Desarrollo, adaptación y ajuste psicológico de los niños y niñas adoptados internacionalmente: Factores de riesgo y de protección, dinámica familiar y procesos de recuperación y resiliencia [Development, adaptation, and psychological adjustment of male and female international adoptees: Risk and protective factors, family dynamics, and recovery and resilience processes]. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Universidad de Sevilla, Spain.Google Scholar
León, E. (2012). La reunificación familiar tras el acogimiento: Una aproximación psicosocial desde la perspectiva de niños y niñas, familias biológicas y familias de acogida [Family reunification after foster care: A psychosocial approach from the perspective of boys and girls, their biological families, and their foster families]. Madrid, Spain: Editorial Académica Española.Google Scholar
Merz, E. C., & McCall, R. B. (2010). Behavior problems in children adopted from psychosocially depriving institutions. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38, 459–469. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10802-009-9383-4 Google Scholar
Molero, R., Moral, M., Albiñana, P., Sabater, Y., & Sospedra, R. (2007). Situación del acogimiento en familia extensa en la ciudad de Valencia [The kinship foster care situation in the city of Valencia]. Anales de Psicología, 23, 193–200.Google Scholar
Oliván, G. (2005). Medicina y adopción internacional [Medicine and international adoption]. Jano, 68, 30–38.Google Scholar
Palacios, J. (2003). Instituciones para niños: ¿Protección o riesgo? [Child welfare institutions: Protection or risk?]. Infancia y Aprendizaje, 26, 353–363. http://dx.doi.org/10.1174/021037003322299098 Google Scholar
Palacios, J., & Amorós, P. (2006). Recent changes in adoption and fostering in Spain. British Journal of Social Work, 36, 921–935. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bch363 Google Scholar
Palacios, J., & Jiménez, J. M. (2009). Kinship foster care. Protection or risk? Adoption and Fostering, 33, 64–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/030857590903300307 Google Scholar
Palacios, J., Jiménez, J. M., Oliva, A., & Saldaña, D. (1998). Malos tratos a los niños en la familia [Childhood maltreatment in the family]. In Rodrigo, M. J. & Palacios, J. (Comps.), Familia y desarrollo humano [Family and human development] (pp. 399–421). Madrid, Spain: Alianza.Google Scholar
Palacios, J., Moreno, C., & Román, M. (2013). Social competence in internationally adopted and institutionalized children. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 28, 357–365. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2012.08.003 Google Scholar
Palacios, J., Román, M., & Camacho, C. (2011). Growth and development in internationally adopted children: Extent and timing of recovery after early adversity. Child Care, Health & Development, 37, 282–288. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2010.01142.x Google Scholar
Palacios, J., Sánchez-Sandoval, Y., León, E., & Román, M. (2008). Adopción: Evolución tras la adversidad inicial en adopción internacional [Adoption: Evolution after initial adversity in international adoption]. In Berástegui, A. & Gómez-Bengoechea, B. (Coords.), Los retos de la postadopción: Balance y perspectivas [Postadoption challenges: Current situation and prospects]. (pp. 35–44). Madrid, Spain: Ministerio de Trabajo y Asuntos Sociales.Google Scholar
Román, M. (2010). El apego en niños y niñas adoptados. Modelos internos, conductas y trastornos de apego [Attachment in adopted boys and girls. Internal working models, behaviors, and attachment disorders]. (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Universidad de Sevilla, Spain.Google Scholar
Rushton, A., Mayes, D., Dance, C., & Quinton, D. (2003). Parenting late-placed children: The development of new relationships and the challenge of behavioral problems. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 8, 389–400. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1359104503008003008 Google Scholar
Rutter, M. (1985). Resilience in the face of adversity. Protective factors and resistance to psychiatric disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 598–611. http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.147.6.598 Google Scholar
Rutter, M., & O’Connor, T. G. (2004). Are there biological programming effects for psychological development? Findings from a study of Romanian adoptees. Developmental Psychology, 40(1), 81–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.40.1.81 Google Scholar
Rutter, M. (1998). Developmental catch-up, and deficit, following adoption after severe global early privation. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 39, 465–476. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1469-7610.00343 Google Scholar
Rutter, M., & the English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) Study Team (2010). Deprivation-specific psychological patterns: Effects of institutional deprivation. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 75(1), 1–252. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5834.2010.00547.x Google Scholar
Sameroff, A. J., & Fiese, B. H. (2000). Transactional regulation: The developmental ecology of early intervention. In Shonkoff, J. P. & Meisels, S. J. (Eds.), Handbook of early childhood intervention (pp. 135–159). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511529320.009 Google Scholar
Sameroff, A., Gutman, L. M., & Peck, S. C. (2003). Adaptation among youth facing multiple risks. Prospective research findings. In Luthar, S. S., Resilience and vulnerability. Adaptation in the context of childhood adversities (pp. 364–391). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511615788.017 Google Scholar
Simmel, C., Barth, R. P., & Brooks, D. (2007). Adopted foster youths’ psychosocial functioning: A longitudinal perspective. Child and Family Social Work, 12, 336–348. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2006.00481.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simmel, C., Brooks, D., Barth, R. P., & Hinshaw, S. P. (2001). Externalizing symptomatology among adoptive youth: Prevalence and preadoption risk factors. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 29(1), 57–69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1005251513130 Google Scholar
Sonuga-Barke, E. J., Schlotz, W., & Kreppner, J. (2010). Differentiating developmental trajectories for conduct, emotion, and peer problems following early deprivation. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 75(1), 102–124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5834.2010.00552.x Google Scholar
Tizard, B., & Hodges, J. (1990). Ex-institutional children: A follow-up study to age 16. Adoption and Fostering, 14(1), 17–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/030857599001400105 Google Scholar
van der Vegt, E. J. M., van der Ende, J., Ferdinand, R. F., Verhulst, F. C., & Tiemeier, H. (2009). Early childhood adversities and trajectories of psychiatric problems in adoptees: Evidence for long lasting effects. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 37, 239–249. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10802-008-9272-2 Google Scholar
Vanderfaeillie, J., van Holen, F., Trogh, L., & Andries, C. (2011). The impact of foster children’s behavioral problems on Flemish foster mothers’ parenting behavior. Child & Family Social Work, 17(1), 34–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2011.00770.Google Scholar