Attachment in a group of adult international adoptees
Author
Summary, in English
The present study examines whether foreign adoptees differ from normative samples in adult attachment status, and explores within-group differences associated with (in)secure attachment status in adult adoptees. Forty adoptees, from a previously representative study of foreign adoptees in Sweden, were interviewed with the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). In adition, they were questioned about issues related to identity and family history, and self-assessment instruments were used to assess self-esteem and mental health. Compared to norm groups, the adoptees did not differ significantly in attachment status. However, insecure attachment organization on the AAI was associated with late adoption and a desire to know more about one's biological roots. Late adoption, memories from the time before the adoption, divorce, lack of contact in the adoptive family with the child's origin, and a tendecy in adoptees not to think about their biological background, were all associated with unresolved/disorganized status with respect to loss or abuse. There was a n onsignificant tendency for secure attachment status to be associated with higher mental health and self-esteem than insecure attachment status.
Publishing year
2004
Language
English
Pages
1-25
Publication/Series
Adoption Quarterly
Volume
8
Issue
2
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Haworth Press
Topic
- Psychology
- Educational Sciences
Keywords
- identity
- adoptive families
- attachment
- adoptees
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1544-452X