Mental health in young adult intercountry adoptees

The objective of the present study was to extend the knowledge on the development of intercountry adoptees, by examining outcomes in adulthood. In chapter 1, the background and the main aims of the current study were presented. Nowadays, the first generation of intercountry adoptees has entered adulthood. So far, little is known about the development of intercountry adoptees in adulthood. In the present longitudinal study, we studied various developmental outcomes in 1,521 young adult intercountry adoptees. The main aims of the study were: (1) to compare the current mental health, including psychiatric disorders and social functioning, of young adult intercountry adoptees aged 24 to 30 years, with that of young adults from the general population, (2) to determine the longitudinal course of mental health in intercountry adoptees over a 14-year period from ages 10 to 30 years, (3) to determine the role of age, sex and SES on mental health in young adult intercountry adoptees, (4) to determine the prevalence of searching for birth parents in young adult intercountry adoptees and to determine factors associated with search.