Longitudinal Development and Factors Affecting Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Adopted Children after Placement

Most nationally and internationally adopted children are well-adjusted, but preadoptive adversity and parental factors can increase the risk of emotional and behavioral problems. Some problems may even arise later in childhood and adolescence. Data analysis from a German longitudinal study aimed to investigate the course of children’s emotional and behavioral problems and examined the impact of both preadoptive and postadoptive factors. We conducted a prospective longitudinal study with 94 children and their adoptive parents. Wave 1 was conducted on average 33 months after placement of the child in the adoptive family, and Wave 2 took place on average 43 months after Wave (1). Adoptive parents provided information about the children’s preadoptive history. Information about emotional and behavioral problems was obtained from the parental version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Parental stress and well-being were obtained through the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) and a Self-Efficacy Questionnaire. The results indicated that, according to parental reports, adopted children’s emotional and behavioral problems increase over the first six years after placement and tend to persist within the study period. Concerning the longitudinal development, early clinical range problems were the best predictor for subsequent problems. Additionally, adoptive parents’ psychological distress and perceived self-efficacy predicted the level of emotional and behavioral problems at Wave (2). The results highlight the need for early identification of families at risk and underscore the importance of flexible and easily accessible post-adoptive support aiming at strengthening parental well-being and self-efficacy.