View clinical trials related to Adoption.
Filter by:The neuro-psychomotor development of children is influenced by multiple factors that play a crucial role in determining normal development or the onset of difficulties and atypicalities. Among these, the environmental context plays a fundamentally relevant role in modulating the child's abilities. Previous studies have compared children who have lived in foster care for at least 8 months with children who have always been within their own family nucleus, highlighting deficits in growth, development, and cognitive and behavioral skills in the former. The aim of this project is to assess the effect of the environmental context on the development of executive functions and adaptive abilities in adopted children. Executive functions involve cognitive processes such as initiation, planning, organization, and regulation of behavior, while adaptive abilities include skills that allow the child to respond to demands from the external environment. The project is conducted in two phases: a retrospective and a parallel prospective phase. The retrospective phase involves the analysis of the clinical records of adopted children in school age at the Pediatric, Child Neuropsychiatry, and Clinical Psychology units of the Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS. The prospective phase consists of evaluating executive functions and adaptive abilities using specific tools recommended by the Italian Society of Child Neuropsychiatry, including the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales for adaptive abilities and a series of specific tests for executive functions, included in the document "Assessment of attention and executive functions in developmental age: review of Italian instruments and proposal of a battery for in-depth analysis." Additionally, to assess internalizing or externalizing behavioral aspects, parents will complete the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) questionnaire. Through this study, the investigators aim to deepen the understanding of the role of the environmental context in the neuro-psychomotor development of adopted children, with particular attention to executive functions and adaptive abilities. The results obtained may provide valuable information for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms and for the implementation of targeted interventions aimed at the optimal support of these children during their growth and development journey.
The research question is: Can the research recommend better ways for social care and health services to work work together to help adoptive and foster families? Can a therapy called DDP improve the mental health of 5-12 year old fostered or adopted children? Is DDP worth the commitment families need to give to it - and the extra cost to the services that deliver it? More than half of adopted or fostered children in the UK have mental health problems including ADHD (i.e. hyperactivity, impulsive behaviour and poor concentration), antisocial behaviour and problems with relationships. Abused and neglected children are more likely than others to have problems in school, become homeless, get involved in crime and even die young (e.g. from suicide), yet there are no fully tested treatments for such complex mental health problems. This is a huge problem because early treatment could greatly improve children's life chances - and reduce strain on health and social care budgets. There is a Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) a parent-child therapy that takes around 20 sessions and focusses on "Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy". There is not yet available really good evidence for or against it: many UK therapists like DDP, but it is a big commitment for families: once a week for about six months children will need time off school, the parents will need time off work - and this can be hard to explain to school friends, colleagues and bosses. Research team doesn't just need to know if DDP improves children's mental health - they also need to know if the commitment needed is worth it for families and whether the costs to services outweigh the benefits. In PHASE 1 the research team will find out whether DDP can work smoothly in the three different settings where it is usually delivered: the NHS, Social Care and Private Practice. Many abused children need other medical and psychiatric support so, the research will assess whether children can get any additional assessments or referrals they may need . In PHASE 2, the research team plans to find out if it is practically possible to run a high quality trial of DDP. This phase will involve 60 families to find out if they are happy to take part (whether offered DDP or usual services). If all goes to plan, these 60 families will contribute to the final results, along with the 180 families involved in the next PHASE 3 when the research team will test whether DDP is better than usual services and, if it is, whether the improvements in child mental health outweigh the costs. What impact will the research have? This study will make recommendations about how services should work together to help abused and neglected children and their families. If the researcher team finds that DDP is worth the time and money, it could improve the mental health of abused and neglected children across the world.
The adjustment of adopted adolescents has been studied in the U.S. and England, but few other European countries have conducted research into this topic. As countries differ greatly in their cultural practices, a comparative study of the adjustment of internationally adopted teenagers in 4 European countries (France, Italy, Spain, Norway) is planned. The adjustment of teens and their families will be studied in relation to the openness of communication related to adoption within the families.
This study will explore adult adoptees' perceptions of the potential value of genetic and family history information. Unlike most people, many adopted individuals do not have access to personal or family medical information because of laws and practices that prevent disclosure. Research suggests that adopted individuals are interested in obtaining this information about their biological families. This study will examine adoptees': - Satisfaction with the amount of genetic information they have, their motivations for wanting more information, and when it becomes important for them to have this information. - Perceptions of the degree to which they believe genetics and family history influence various traits and conditions. The study will also explore adoptees' interactions with health care providers so that recommendations can be developed for helping genetic counselors meet the needs of these individuals. English-speaking adoptees 18 years of age and older are eligible for this study. Those enrolled will participate in a one-time telephone interview that will take about 45 to 60 minutes. The interview will obtain demographic information, such as the adoptee's age, sex, racial and ethnic background, marital status, and education level, and will include questions in the following areas: - Personal adoption story; - Perceptions of the role of the biological family history and medical information and its importance and usefulness; - Perceptions of the influence of genetics and family history on health; - Reproductive history and pregnancy concerns related to being adopted; - Experiences and interactions with health care providers related to adoption; - Suggestions for improving interactions with health care providers.