Adopted children at greater risk for mental health disorders

[runawaybunny]

Adopted children at greater risk for mental health disorders - CNN
Children who are adopted may be at elevated risk for mental health disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity, oppositional defiance, major depression and separation anxiety disorders, according to a wide body of research. There's also evidence to suggest that children adopted internationally could have much higher rates of fetal alcohol syndrome, autism and brain damage, said Dr. Ronald Federici, a clinical neuropsychologist who works with adopted children.

In some cases, "the kids coming from the Eastern bloc and other countries, they've been languishing in deprived, neglected orphanages without proper care or education. So they come here with years of institutional damage -- alcohol, drug exposure, developmental delays, neglect, abandonment and all these issues that were never treated there," he said.

 

[1 Day At a Time]

RB,

Thanks for this article. The mother referenced is from my community, and she is simply awesome. Click on her web site, and read the last entry in her blog. She totally gets the recent Russian adoption situation, and writes very articulately about it.

Valerie

 

[Nomad]

Interesting.
Many, many thanks.

 

[JJJ]

My first response was "duh, we needed research to figure this out?" Then I was glad that there is more research going on to help our kids.

 

[BusynMember]

Thanks. Hate to say it, but love is not enough if a kid grew up in a caregiver deprived, cold orphanage with no primary person he can attach to. I would never adopt from Eastern Europe because of how their children are put into orphanages. I don't think it's much better though in US foster care. It's a real mess and needs a total makeover.

A lot of the birthmothers of parentless children. use drugs or drink or have mental health issues (birthfathers too) which further puts the kids at risk (genetic stuff). Sadly, many people think they can love these kids enough and that this will solve the problem. It just isn't true.

 

[JJJ]

It is not "being adopted" that causes the problems. It is all of the reasons the birthparents couldn't parent: drug abuse, domestic violence, mental illness that hurt our kids.