THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING IS IN THE EATING

GERA TER MEULEN, ADOC; KNOWLEDGEBUREAU TER MEULEN

DAISY SMEETS, LEIDEN UNIVERSITY

FEMMIE JUFFER, LEIDEN UNIVERSITY

How do Dutch Adult Intercountry

adoptees feel about their adoption and

how satisfied are they with their life?

CONTEXT OF THE STUDY

EurAdopt Conference 2016: ‘The relevance of adoption’:

The voice of the adoptees

• In the Netherlands two opposite organized groups of adoptees:

SIG and UAI

•Media: mostly negative, or very positive

ADULT INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTEES

•Most adult adoptees do well

• Social factors and self-esteem: mostly at par with general

population

• Slightly more psychiatric disorders

•More professional help

How do adult adoptees feel about adoption themselves?

As….. The proof of the pudding is in the eating

HOW SATISFIED ARE ADULT ADOPTEES WITH THEIR LIFE?

&

IS SATISFACTION WITH LIFE RELATED TO APPRAISAL OF RELINQUISHMENT AND ADOPTION?

QUESTIONNAIREHOW TO GET AN AS UNBIASED SAMPLE OF ADULT ADOPTEES AS POSSIBLE?

Positive, critical and uninterested adoptees

Adoptive parents sent

questionnaires to their

adult intercountry

adopted children

3 adoption organizations sent

5555 letters and e-mails to parents

of adult adoptees

616 responses of

adoptees

Adoptee

organizationswebsites

539 responses of

adoptees

Social

media

1155 responses

How to reach adult intercountry adoptees?

THE ADOPTEES

• From 32 countries, most adoptees from China, South-Korea, Colombia

• Age 18-55 in 2016; average 29 years old

• 73 % female

SATISFACTION WITH LIFE

Cantril ladder ‘How do you feel about your life as a whole?

• Average score adoptees: 7,95

• Cantril Dutch population 7,6

• Construct of Cantril ladder and Diener SWLS

DIENER SATISFACTION WITH LIFE SCALE

5 STATEMENTS, LIKE

‘In general I am satisfied with life’

‘If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing’

NOT AT ALL NO USUALLY NOT SOMETIMES USUALLY YES COMPLETELY

TOGETHER WE MADE ONE MEASUREMENT FOR SATISFACTION

• Higher score means more

satisfaction

• Satisfaction generally

high, but also very

unsatisfied adoptees

DEMOGRAPHICS AND SATISFACTION

No significant differences for Satisfaction in

• Gender

• Region of origin

• Having children

Differences comparable to the general population:

• Better education

• Unemployment

• Romantic relationships

SMITH AND BRODZINSKY’S EMOTIONREACTION SCALE (ERS) ON EMOTIONS AROUND RELINQUISHMENTAND ADOPTION

•When thinking about relinquishment/adoption how often do you feel…

• Happy, sad, mad, confused, loved, etc (12 emotions)”

PCA: 3 components (71% variance explained)

APPRAISAL OF RELINQUISHMENT AND ADOPTION

2043

9180

57

9

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

positive on adoption positive on relinquishment negative on adoption andrelinquishment

%

Astitel

never/sometimes (very) often

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SATISFACTION WITH LIFE, DEMOGRAPH AND ADOPTION FACTORS

M (SD) Satisfaction

1. Satisfaction Construct

2. Gender 0.000

3. Current age -0.176***

4. Education (1-5) 0.152***

5. Employment (no va. yes) 0.210***

6. Steady relationship (no vs. yes) 0.087**

7. Children (no vs. yes) -0.051

8. Age at adoption -0.119***

9. Region of origin n.s.

10. Positive appraisal adoption 3.22 (.80) 0.626***

11. Positive appraisal relinquishment 2.66 (.85) 0.488***

12. Negative appraisal 1.54 (.61) -0.626***

*** p<0.001

** p<0.01

* p<0.05

STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GENERAL SATISFACTIONAND EMOTIONS AROUND ADOPTION AND RELINQUISHMENT

•More negative feelings about adoption and relinquishment are

correlated with lower satisfaction score

•More positive feelings about relinquishment and adoption are

correlated with higher satisfaction

• Ambivalence:

Less positive about relinquishment than adoption

Adoptees can be positive about adoption and negative about

relinquishment

AGE AT ADOPTION AND SATISFACTION

-0,50

-0,40

-0,30

-0,20

-0,10

0,00

0,10

0,20

0 1 2 3 4 5 6+

Sa

tisf

act

ion

with

life

Age at adoption

Mean satisfaction with life for age at adoption

When adopted at older age: more problems (attachment, trauma, developmental delays)

MEAN NEGATIVE APPRAISAL OF RELINQUISHMENTAND ADOPTION AND AGE AT ADOPTION

0,0000

0,2000

0,4000

0,6000

0,8000

1,0000

1,2000

1,4000

1,6000

1,8000

2,0000

0 1 2 3 4 5 6+

Nega

tive

ap

pra

isa

lof

relin

quis

hm

ent

and

ad

op

tion

Age at adoption

Mean Older adoptees

appraise their

relinquishment and

adoption less positive

MEAN SATISFACTION WITH LIFE AND AGE OF ADOPTEE

-1,50

-1,00

-0,50

0,00

0,50

1,00

1,50

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 51 52 53 55

Sa

tisf

act

ion

with

life

age

Older adoptees are less satisfied with life

• Both adoptee organizations in the Netherlands warned that they had noticed

that the feelings of adoptees changed in the course of life

• 46% changed in appraisal after 18 years

HOW DID YOUR FEELINGS CHANGE IN TIME? (NUMBERS OF ADOPTEES)

0

5

10

15

20

25

Angry sad confused satisfied quiet, atrest

happy

more negative feeling more positive feeling

‘It took me almost 30 years to see how my adoptive background

was interwoven with problems with attachment, relations, to

entrust myself to others. Meanwhile I can say that I can experience

the richness of two cultures and be happy….’

‘As you get more experience of life, it is easier to deal with

adoption’

FOR 46% THE FEELINGS ABOUT ADOPTION CHANGED, BECAUSE….

0 50 100 150 200

Nothing special

help

Research

relationships

Getting a child

Problems of yourself or others

Roots

Growing up, experiences

Numbers of adoptees

• Older adoptees are less satisfied

• But they generally get a more positive feeling

about adoption

CBS, Dutch

population

Total score

18-25 7,6

25-35 7,5

35-45 7.5

Adoptees

18-23 8,1

24-30 7,9

31-40 7,9

>40 7,5

AGE AND SATISFACTION

NOT AGE BUT PERIOD OF TIME

• 1989: Rights of the Child and Dutch law on intercountry adoption

• 1993: Hague adoption convention, in effect in 1995

• Preparation adoptive parents and Post Adoption Services: informal since the

80’s; compulsory preparation course and formal PAS since 1991

• Scientific research in Adoption Centre and chair on adoption since 1984.

So:

• the organization around adoption improved in the

more recent years

• adoptive parents were better prepared

• more specialized post adoption services

FEELINGS ABOUT THE RELINQUISHMENT

54

22

16

4 4

I wish I had lived with my birthparents

Never/not

Hardly ever

AlwaysOften

Sometimes

QUOTE

‘IN MY OPINION, TO BE ADOPTED IS THE BEST BANDAGE ON THE

MAJOR WOUND RELINQUISHMENT HAS BLOWN INTO MY LIFE’

FEELINGS ABOUT ADOPTION

56

15

32

42

Adoption makes me feel good

Never/not

Hardly ever

Sometimes

Often/much

Always/totally

CONCLUSIONS

• Adoption gave most Dutch intercountry adoptees the opportunity for a

life with a lot of satisfaction.

• This does not mean that there are no issues that can be difficult

• The adoptees most recently adopted are most positive on adoption and

relinquishment and most satisfied with life

• Related to better regulations, more knowledge, better preparation of

adoptive parents and post adoption services

QUOTE

‘TO BE ADOPTED IS A FACT, BUT WHAT YOU MAKE OUT OF YOUR LIFE IS A

CHOICE’

WHAT IT ALL COMES DOWN TOIS THAT EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE FINE, FINE, FINE

'CAUSE I'VE GOT ONE HAND IN MY POCKETAND THE OTHER ONE IS GIVING A HIGH FIVE

Alanis Morissette

• Alanis Morissette - Hand in My Pocket

• I'm broke but I'm happy, I'm poor but I'm kind

I'm short but I'm healthy, yeah

I'm high but I'm grounded, I'm sane but I'm overwhelmed

• I'm lost but I'm hopeful, baby

What it all comes down to

Is that everything's gonna be fine, fine, fine

'Cause I've got one hand in my pocket

And the other one is giving a high five

I feel drunk but I'm sober, I'm young and I'm underpaid

I'm tired but I'm working, yeah

I care but I'm restless, I'm here but I'm really gone

I'm wrong and I'm sorry baby

What it all comes down to

Is that everything is going to be quite alright

'Cause I've got one hand in my pocket

And the other one is flicking a cigarette

What it all comes down to

Is that I haven't got it all figured out just yet

'Cause I've got one hand in my pocket

And the other one is giving a peace sign

I'm free but I'm focused, I'm green but I'm wise

I'm hard but I'm friendly, baby

I'm sad but I'm laughing, I'm brave but I'm chicken shit

I'm sick but I'm pretty baby

And what it all boils down to

Is that no one's really got it figured out just yet

I've got one hand in my pocket

And the other one is playing the piano

And what it all comes down to, my friends, yeah

Is that everything is just fine fine fine

I've got one hand in my pocket

And the other one is hailing a taxi cab

Writers: ALANIS MORISSETTE, GLEN BALLARD