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Post-Institutionalization: The Effects of Early Deprivation on Development of Romanian Adoptees

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Abstract

Accounts of childhood adversity and extreme deprivation are not new to psychological literature. Intensive case studies of children raised in isolation or extreme deprivation have provided developmental psychologists a better understanding of the effects of early environment on later development (see Curtiss, 1977, for a detailed account of the developmental sequelae of Genie, a girl rescued from 13 years of restraint and isolation). The influx of children adopted from impoverished institutional care has provided a more recent opportunity to investigate the long-term adjustment and outcome of children who endured a circumscribed period of deprivation (Gunnar, Bruce, & Grotevant, 2000). The following paper will review the research concerning the physical, cognitive, and emotional development of children adopted from Romanian institutions within the last 15 years. Understanding this population is not only important for helping these children and their families, but also to delineate the effects of early deprivation and elucidate potential outcomes for other populations that experience early adverse life events.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, 221 North Grand Boulevard, Shannon Hall 210, St. Louis, MO, 63103;

    Samantha L. Wilson

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  1. Samantha L. Wilson
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Wilson, S.L. Post-Institutionalization: The Effects of Early Deprivation on Development of Romanian Adoptees. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal 20, 473–483 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:CASW.0000003139.14144.06

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