Developmental course of problem behaviors in adolescent adoptees.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the 3-year developmental course of problem behaviors and competencies in intercountry adoptees in adolescence and to determine the role of ethnicity and early adverse environmental influences on the development of problem behaviors.

METHOD

In this prospective study, a sample of 1,538 intercountry adoptees, aged 11 to 14 years at initial assessment and 14 to 17 years at follow-up, were assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at both occasions.

RESULTS

Across the follow-up interval there was an increase in problem behaviors and a decrease in competencies. Increases in problem scores were greatest for the CBCL scales Withdrawn and Delinquent Behavior. These findings contrasted with the results from a longitudinal study of an epidemiological sample of children from the general population. The increase in problem scores could not be attributed to the age of the child at placement, the medical condition at placement, early neglect or abuse, or racial antagonism.

CONCLUSION

In contrast with their agemates from the general population, intercountry adoptees showed an increase in maladaptive functioning in adolescence. Because early adverse influences were not responsible for the increase of problems, it was concluded that other factors pertaining to adolescent development interact negatively with adoption-specific factors that render individuals vulnerable to deviation from the normal developmental pathway.