Parents' and Mental Health Workers' Perceptions of the Therapeutic Needs and Experiences of Services for Dutch Children Adopted from Romania

Abstract

While it is established that international adoptive families are over-represented in mental health care, little is known about their experiences of mental health services. Catharina Rijk, René Hoksbergen and Jan ter Laak describe the experiences of eleven adoptive families and 12 mental health workers involved with severely deprived Romanian children adopted from institutions. Parents and mental health workers were interviewed. Reasons for applying for help, diagnoses, treatment method and evaluation are discussed. Most parents reported difficulties in finding appropriate care and had consulted several therapists before arriving at the current mental health service. Diagnoses often included cognitive delays, autistic symptoms and attachment difficulties. Different treatment methods were applied, in both outpatient and residential settings. Parents were more positive about the treatment outcome than were the mental health workers, the latter often having to consult colleagues about appropriate treatment. While the workers agreed that knowledge about adoption and the effects of deprivation are essential for suitable treatment, most of them felt that they lacked expertise for such work.