[Relationship between pre-adoptive risk factors and psychopathological difficulties of internationally adopted...

In recent years a number of children have been adopted to Iceland. The aim of our study was to evaluate which factors may affect their mental and behavioural health.

Information was collected on the health of internationally adopted children in Iceland as well as on pre-adoptive risk factors. This was done using a survey developed by Dr. Dana Johnson from the International Adoption Project at the University of Minnesota in the United States. Other questionnaires include the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Strenghts and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ), Attention Deficit/Hyper activity Rating Scale (ADHD-RS-IV) and Austism Spectrum Screening Questionaire (ASSQ). For the comparative analysis data from the general population was used.

Children adopted after 18 months of age and who have been institutionalised for 18 months or more showed higher risk for ADHD symptoms and behavioral and emotional problems than the general population. In addition, those who were subject to severe emotional neglect had significantly higher scores on CBCL, SDQ and ADHD-RS. A trend was seen between risk factors and scores on ASSQ. Children adopted before 12 months of age scored within the normal range on all questionnaires.

These results suggest that children adopted after 18 months of age are at risk of psychopathological difficulties. These results emphasize the importance of early adoption and of minimizing the time spent in an institution.