Descriptive analysis of post-adoption services for adults in Spain

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22544/rcps.v43i01.01

Keywords:

Post-adoption services, Post-adoption resources, Adult adoptees, Psychological therapy, Search for origins

Abstract

Adoption is a child protection measure that allows a positive change in the lives of these children or adolescents and enables the creation of a new family. Adoption processes involve quality professional interventions for years. This study analyzes the post-adoption services that exist in Spain providing attention to adult adoptees. The aim is to know the socio-demographic characteristics of the users, the demands they present and the responses offered by these services. Thirty-eight professional services with competence in adoption in Spain participated and they completed a structured questionnaire with information related with the services. The results show a higher proportion of women demanding post-adoption services (63.42%). The 24.18% were internationally adopted users. The greatest demand attended was the request of information about their biological family (at least 65.79%). From the services, responses offered were mainly adoption-related counseling (84.8%) or search for origins (84.8%), and psychological therapy (63.6%), in addition to other resources not specific to adult adoptees. The new needs presented by adoptees when they come of age require knowing and strengthening the post-adoption services oriented to these users, insisting on adoption networking and on improving the adoption skills of professionals.

Author Biographies

Natalia Jiménez-Luque, Universidad de Cádiz, Cádiz, España

Graduate in Psychology from University of Granada, Spain and has a Master's degree in General Health Psychology from the University of Córdoba, Spain. She is currently pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Cádiz, Spain, and carries out her professional work as a predoctoral researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Research and Innovation of Cádiz (INiBICA). She also has previous experience as a university professor in the basic psychology department at the University of Huelva. Therefore, he has developed skills in both research and teaching in the field of psychology.

Yolanda Sánchez-Sandoval, Universidad de Cádiz, Cádiz, España

PhD in Psychology from University of Seville (Spain). She has worked as a Full Professor at the University of Seville, and currently as a Full Professor at the University of Cádiz, in the area of ​​Evolutionary and Educational Psychology. She is responsible for the Research Group (SEJ594) APRIL – Psychological Wellbeing in Risk Contexts [https://sej594.uca.es/]. She is the Program Coordinator Doctorate in Health Sciences from the University of Cádiz. Its lines of research are aimed at the study and promotion of child and adolescent development, especially in risk contexts and under protective measures. She has directed research projects funded in competitive calls at the national and regional level. Her longitudinal research on adoption, adolescent development and the development of boys and girls born prematurely stands out. Its results have been published in high-impact journals and books, with international dissemination. The applied nature of his research stands out, having developed and evaluated intervention projects in family and school contexts.

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Published

2024-02-22

How to Cite

Jiménez-Luque, N., & Sánchez-Sandoval, Y. (2024). Descriptive analysis of post-adoption services for adults in Spain. Costa Rican Journal of Psychology, 43(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.22544/rcps.v43i01.01

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Vol. 43 No. 1 (2024): Costa Rican Journal of Psychology (January-June 2024, continuous publication)

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