Becoming parents by adoption: A systematic review

Abstract

The transition to parenthood for biological parents has been explored extensively in research, shaping healthcare service provision from pre-conception to birth and beyond. However, adoptive parents are in a unique position and, despite a growing number of studies on this issue, there remains a demonstrable evidence gap about the experiences of adoptive parents. There is an urgent need to bring existing work in this area together and synthesise the key messages for research and practice. The aim of this review was to identify and summarise papers concerning the experiences of adoptive parents becoming parents for the first time, in order to inform future research and clinical practice. A systematic review identified 21 papers and seven areas of interest. Similarities exist between new biological and new adoptive parents but new adoptive parents face unique experiences and challenges as a result of becoming parents through adoption, not biology.