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Delaying Adoption Disclosure: A Survey of Late Discovery Adoptees
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Delaying Adoption Disclosure: A Survey of Late Discovery Adoptees

Amanda L. Baden, Doug Shadel, Ron Morgan, Ebony E. White, Elliotte S. Harrington, Nicole Christian and Todd A. Bates
Journal of family issues, v 40(9), pp 1154-1180
01 Jun 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X19829503
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel

Abstract

Family Studies Social Sciences
Despite common recommendations from professionals that adoption disclosure should be done at early ages, reports suggest that a sizeable number of adult adoptees do not learn of their adoption status until older ages. The few studies that exist indicate that the late discovery of adoption is linked to psychological distress and feelings of anger, betrayal, depression, and anxiety. In this mixed-method study, 254 adult adoptees completed a survey consisting of the K10 (Kessler Distress Inventory) the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-BREF, open-ended prompts, and demographic items. Results indicated that those who learned of their adoptions from age 3 and older reported more distress and lower life satisfaction when controlling for the amount of time adoptees have known of their adoption statuses and their use of coping strategies. Adoptees also indicated a desire for communicative openness and reported that beneficial coping methods included supportive relationships and seeking contact with birth relatives and other adoptees.

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27 Record Views
36 citations in Web of Science
29 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Family Studies
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