Effectiveness of adoption-specific therapy on behavioral problems and attachment in adopted children and parental stress in adoptive families: A randomized controlled trial

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Adoption-Specific Therapy (ADAPT), in improving outcomes among adoptive families in Iran. Thirty adoptive families were initially recruited, and 25 families who completed both pre- and post-test assessments with children aged 7 to 12 were randomly assigned to either the ADAPT group (n = 12) or a control group (n = 13). The ADAPT intervention included 34 sessions over 20 weeks (14 for the child, 14 for the parents, and 6 joint sessions), focusing on adoption-related issues, attachment, identity development, and the parent-child relationship. Post-test assessments were conducted immediately after the 20-week intervention using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; primary outcome), Kinship Center Attachment Questionnaire (KCAQ), and Parenting Stress Index (PSI). The ADAPT group showed significantly greater improvement than controls on the CBCL (F(1,22) = 6.09, p = .022, partial η² = 0.22) and KCAQ (F(1,22) = 5.45, p = .029, partial η² = 0.20). For the PSI, while ANCOVA showed significance (F(1,22) = 6.20, p = .021, partial η² = 0.22), this was not confirmed by non-parametric testing (U = 57.00, p = .347). These results provide preliminary evidence for the potential of ADAPT as a culturally responsive and trauma-informed intervention for Iranian adoptive families.