This study examined if considerably different caregiving experiences in infancy influence socio-emotional development later in childhood. We included children aged 6-9 years who were, immediately after birth, placed in quality state-run institutions (N = 24) or quality state-run foster care with one family (N = 23). All children have lived in stable families since their adoption before 15 months of age. Children in the comparison group have always lived with their biological parents (N = 25). We found that the previously institutionalized group had significantly more behavioral problems, more dissociative symptoms, and lower empathic behavior scores than the comparison group. The previously fostered group also exhibited more behavioral problems and dissociative symptoms than the comparison group but, notably, significantly fewer behavioral problems than the previously institutionalized group. The findings underscore the beneficial role of foster care compared to institutional care and that quality and consistency of early caregiving play a crucial role in later socio-emotional development.

1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague Czech Republic

Department of Psychology Columbia University New York NY USA

School of Psychological Sciences Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv Israel

Winnette Lab Natama Institute Prague Czech Republic

Citace poskytuje Crossref.org

Dissociative symptoms in school-aged adopted children who experienced maternal separation and disruptive caregiving in infancy