[The term "forced adoption" in the German Democratic Republic from the perspective of affected adoptees - a...

The term "forced adoption" in the GDR has not yet been clearly defined to this day, the evidence is inconclusive, and the number of people affected falls within the single-digit to double-digit range, although there are significantly more people who consider themselves to be affected. The study examined the individual understanding and meaning of the term "forced adoption" among adoptees surveyed who believe they are affected by "forced adoptions" in the GDR.

29 narrative interviews were conducted with contemporary witnesses about their understanding of the term and their individual engagement with it. These were evaluated using Kuckartz's qualitative content analysis method.

The approaches to and discussions of the term "forced adoption" of the adoptees interviewed were comparable but may lead to uncertainties and doubts in different ways. The analysis revealed four psychological functions of the term: expression of subjective suffering and injustice, formulation of a conciliatory and compassionate narrative about the biological parents, dealing with lack of knowledge and uncertainties, and establishing a sense of belonging to a group of affected individuals.

The results show that the term can help to articulate subjective experiences of suffering and injustice, to formulate a coherent life narrative, and to establish a connection to the biological parents and a sense of belonging to a group of affected individuals.

Raising awareness and acknowledging the experiences of suffering and injustice of adoptees who consider to be forcibly adopted may help to better understand their concerns, to contextualize the narratives historically and in terms of their function, and to offer them adequate support in counseling or psychotherapy.