Korean Adoptee Identity: Adoptive and Ethnic Identity Profiles of Adopted Korean Americans

Unsettled adoptive identity: Understanding relationship challenges in adopted adolescents' identity narratives

Adopted adolescents create identity narratives conceptualizing their connections to their families of adoption and birth. Previous work with a sample of adoptive adolescents identified a sub-group who reported negative experiences regarding adoption as part of their navigating of adoptive identity processes (the "Unsettled" group). The current study examined interviews with adolescents in the "Unsettled" group to elucidate these negative experiences, specifically through identifying the relationship challenges linked to adoption. Participants included 30 adopted adolescents (18 females, 12 males) from a longitudinal study of adoptive families. All the adolescents (M age = 15.2 years) were domestically adopted in infancy by heterosexual couples who were the same race as the adolescents (29 White, 1 Mexican American). Thematic analysis revealed six themes reflecting adolescents' relationship challenges as related to adoption, both in terms of interpersonal interactions and how relational experiences influenced adolescents' thoughts and feelings of past, present, and future selves: (a) Negative experiences in relationships with adoptive family members, (b) Negative experiences in relationships with birth family members, (c) Difficulties in the adoptive kinship network, (d) Negative thoughts and feelings toward the self as an adopted person, (e) Negative views toward adoption as a form of building a family, and (f) Negative connections between adoption and future relationships. Multiple subthemes were also identified that built upon topics within the adoption and family systems literature, such as communication among family members, navigation of birth family contact, and adopted adolescents' perceptions of loss. Also identified were four profiles across themes. Implications for mental health providers and adoption professionals are discussed.

Navigating puberty, identity, and race among transnationally, transracially adopted Korean American adolescents

This exploratory study examined the relation between pubertal timing and dimensions of ethnic-racial identity among adopted Korean Americans raised transracially in White families. The study also examined whether internalized racism moderated the association between pubertal timing and ethnic-racial identity. Adopted Korean American adolescents (N = 202; 108 females; ages 13-19 years) completed measures of pubertal development, ethnic-racial identity, and internalized racism in 2007. There was no significant main effect of pubertal timing for either male or female adolescents. Internalized racism moderated the relation between pubertal timing and ethnic-racial identity clarity (B = -.16, p = .015) among male adolescents. Specifically, earlier pubertal timing was significantly associated with lower ethnic-racial identity clarity for male adolescents with higher levels of internalized racism.

Bullying victimization among internationally adopted adolescents: Psychosocial adjustment and moderating factors

Bullying constitutes a serious risk factor for the psychosocial adjustment of young people in both the general population and minority groups. Among minorities, international adoptees are likely to show a specific vulnerability to the experience of being bullied, moderated by specific risk and protective factors. This study aimed to investigate the association between adoptees’ experience of bullying victimization and their psychosocial adjustment, and to explore the moderating role of adoptive identity and reflected minority categorization. An online, anonymous self-report questionnaire was completed by 140 adolescents (13–17 years), who were internationally adopted by Italian families. Findings showed that being victimized was associated with higher levels of emotional and behavioral difficulties, but that the strength of this relation varied according to the levels of adoptive identity and reflected minority categorization. Specifically, victimization was found to have a more detrimental and negative impact on psychological adjustment for adoptees who were highly identified with the adoptive group, and reported to be less perceived by others as members of the minority group. Results are discussed in relation to recommendations for further research as well as for professionals working with internationally adopted adolescents.

Adoptees facing adolescence: What accounts for their psychological well-being?

INTRODUCTION

In accordance with the "resilience paradigm", this study was aimed at exploring the role of the parent-child relationship in supporting internationally adopted adolescents' ability to develop a strong adoptive identity and a feeling of satisfaction with their own life.

METHODS

Participants were 105 Italian adopted adolescents (13-17 years) asked to complete a self-report questionnaire.

RESULTS

Results showed that adolescents generally feel fairly comfortable discussing adoption-related issues (especially with their mothers), have a medium-high level of adoptive identity, and appear to be quite satisfied with their life. Moreover, while adoptive identity mediates the association between openness in communication regarding adoption and adoptees' well-being with mothers, father-child communication openness has a direct influence on well-being.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings highlighted that the quality of mother-child and father-child relationship plays a crucial role in guiding the process of adoptees' identity formation and influencing their well-being. Recommendations for professionals working with adoptive families were discussed.

Adult adoptees and their use of direct-to-consumer genetic testing: Searching for family, searching for health

Use of direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC-GT) is rapidly growing in the United States. Yet little is known about how specific populations like domestic and intercountry adoptees use DTC-GT. Adoptees often have little to no biological family history, which may affect how they use DTC-GT. This study aimed to examine adult adoptees' motivations to pursue DTC-GT, experiences completing a test, and reasons for not completing one. An online survey consisting of 41 closed-ended questions was distributed to domestic and intercountry adult adoptees in a snowball convenience method addressing seven areas: (a) demographics and adoption experience, (b) family health history, (c) familiarity with DTC-GT, (d) actual DTC-GT experience, (e) hypothetical DTC-GT experience, (f) health results, and (g) satisfaction with DTC-GT. Descriptive statistics were performed on participant demographics and adoption characteristics, and chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests compared demographics and adoption characteristics by familiarity with DTC-GT and completion of DTC-GT. A total of 117 adoptees met criteria and completed the survey. Adoptees were motivated to use DTC-GT to search for biological family (83.0%), verify race and ethnicity (72.3%), and find out where ancestors came from (66.0%). Most participants completed DTC-GT (80.3%); completion was significantly associated with searching for biological relatives (p < 0.01) and with older age (p = 0.05). For those who received health information (59.6%), 44.4% of participants reported talking with a health provider. Adoptees are using DTC-GT to search for biological relatives, confirm their ethnicity and ancestry, and gain information about their health. Genetic counselors and health professionals should be prepared to address DTC-GT with adoptees as nearly half discussed their results with providers; findings from this study provide insight into how this unique population uses DTC-GT, and the possibility of patient-centered, tailored care for adopted patients who do not have family health history.

Psychological correlates of interest in genetic testing among Korean American adoptees and their parents

Adopted persons increasingly have turned to genetic testing to obtain health information or to search for birth family. The present study investigated psychological factors that may contribute to interest among adoptees and their parents in genetic testing for the adoptee, including adoptees' ethnic identity development, their thoughts or curiosity about birth family (birth family thoughts), and the interaction of these two factors. Data were drawn from the second wave of a longitudinal study, conducted in 2014, on transracially, transnationally adopted Korean American adolescents and their adoptive parents. In a sample of 106 adolescent-parent dyads, 2 adolescents (1.89%) had undergone genetic testing. Among the dyads in which adolescents had not sought genetic testing, 47.12% of adolescents and 43.27% of parents indicated interest in genetic testing for the adolescent adoptee. Adolescents' interest in genetic testing was independent from parents' interest. Neither adolescent psychological adjustment nor physical health was related to interest in genetic testing in either adolescents or parents. Adolescents' birth family thoughts were related to adolescents' interest in genetic testing, but not to parents' interest in genetic testing for their child. This study showed ethnic identity exploration and resolution moderated the relationship between birth family thoughts and adolescents' interest in genetic testing. Results point to the relevance of birth family thoughts and identity development to genetic testing in transnational and transracial adolescent adoptees.

Adoptive identity and adjustment from adolescence to emerging adulthood: A person-centered approach

Adopted persons face special challenges in the development of identity, as aspects of their histories may be unknown, making it difficult to construct a coherent narrative linking past, present, and future. Extensive literature on adjustment outcomes for adopted persons indicates an elevated risk for adjustment problems. In this study, a low-risk sample of adopted youth is involved to examine, longitudinally, connections between adoptive identity and adjustment. Participants included 145 adopted youth who participated in Waves 2 (W2: adolescence: mean age = 15.7) and 3 (W3: emerging adulthood: mean age = 25.0) of a longitudinal study with a nationwide sample. Children were placed with same-race adoptive families (over 95% White) as infants through domestic private adoption agencies in the U.S. Internalizing and externalizing behaviors were assessed by the Youth Self Report (W2) and the Adult Self Report (W3). Adoptive identity was assessed by ratings of 6 dimensions coded from interviews which, using cluster analysis, revealed 4 adoptive identity subgroups: unexamined, limited, unsettled, and integrated. Factorial ANCOVA examined mean differences in W3 internalizing problems across identity clusters while controlling for W2 internalizing. The main effect for adoptive identity cluster was significant: F(3, 840.72) = 3.724, p = .011. Adopted adolescents in the unsettled group had significantly higher levels of internalizing problems in emerging adulthood than persons in the unexamined and limited categories. A similar ANCOVA for W3 externalizing behavior was not significant. Identity profiles high in negative affect may be at particular risk of increased levels of internalizing problems. (PsycINFO Database Record