Love, Life and Adoption

Adoption raises the age-old question of how nature and nurture combine to affect a person’s character. And while it can often be extremely rewarding for everyone involved, it also raises complex psychological issues for parents and children.

Many adoptions in the UK involve not young babies but older children who have already experienced disruption to their lives. Some will have even had to deal with neglect and abuse. The current vogue among celebrities for adopting children from foreign countries raises other issues: these children will have to adjust not only to a new family but a whole new culture. But despite all these hurdles, adoption can turn a child’s whole life around.

Later, in the years after an adoption, parents or children may want to find their biological relatives, introducing new emotional challenges. One recent study has shown that these experiences are often helpful - 85% of people questioned said that their contact and reunion experiences were positive ones - but meeting unknown biological relatives can also be difficult.

Join us to find out more about the psychological impact of adoption - the benefits and the conflicts. Maybe you have your own experiences to share with our speakers. You'll hear from experts in the field and get the chance to ask your own questions.

Event organised by:
The European Dana Alliance for the Brain and the Institute of Psychiatry

Speakers

Michael Rutter, Institute of Psychiatry
John Simmonds, British Association for Adoption and Fostering
Fiona Kyle, University College London
Collette Bentley, adopted at the age of 13

Facilitator: Jane Landon