In Autumn 2023, we facilitated 10 online workshops to gain a deeper understanding of adopters' mental health and support needs during the adoption process and after a child has been placed. We have now completed the analysis of the workshop data and have two publications currently under review. Once available, we will share these publications with our adopters via the Adopters Advocacy Network and with key stakeholders.
Trainee clinical psychologist Lacey Johnson conducted a number of interviews with adopters who had a child or children placed with them during Spring 2024, in order to better understand the mental health experiences of adopters and their support needs after a child has been placed. She has analysed the interview data as part of her doctoral degree.
Trainee clinical psychologist Rhiannon O'Marah conducted a number of interviews in Summer 2024 with adopters who have both birth children and adopted children to explore how adoption has impacted their existing family relationships. She has analysed the data and has written a publication. We plan to share our publication with adopters in our Network and with key stakeholders.
Adopters Advocacy are keen to employ creative methodologies to support adopters to share their experiences and ensure that these can be heard. By using reflective and creative writing, this project aimed to help adopters communicate the things that are hard to say and hard to hear that they would otherwise be unable to discuss, and develop interactive narrative resources to educate and support. We plan to utilise the ‘Letters’ created with adopters and the online interactive narratives with health and social care professionals to promote compassion and empathy towards adopters when they are in crisis and in need of support.
Throughout May-July of 2024, we hosted a number of activities on campus for the range of adoptive ‘dads’ that we came across during our research, including those with young children, those whose children may have left home, as well as those dads who work, and those who are ‘stay at home’ dads. Following this activity, we conducted interviews with participating dads to learn more about the impact of creating this community group and safe space. We have identified the unique support needs of adoptive dads, as well as what ‘support’ looks like to them. We have written up our findings in a publication and plan to share with adopters and key stakeholders soon.
We ran an online survey exploring adopters’ experiences relating to compassion fatigue, post traumatic stress, burnout, and secondary trauma. We also examined the current support accessed by adopters and what support they would wish to be able to access. We have analysed the data of over 500 adopters and plan to share our findings with adopters and key stakeholders via an upcoming publication.
