Romanian orphan studies / effects of institutionalisation

What is institutionalisation?

Effects of living in an institutional setting eg: hospital or orphanage

What is

Effects of living in an institutional setting eg: hospital or orphanage

Institutionalisation

What is disinhibited attachment?

Children who show equally friendly and affectionate behaviour towards people they know and strangers

What is

Children who show equally friendly and affectionate behaviour towards people they know and strangers

Disinhibited attachment

Link b/t maternal deprivation + orphans

Prolonged separation from mother/ substitute figure

Lack of emotional care

Lack of consistent and quality interaction

Impacted on psychological and physical development

What is

Prolonged separation from mother/ substitute figure

Lack of emotional care

Lack of consistent and quality interaction

Impacted on psychological and physical development

Link b/t orphans and maternal deprivation

2 longitudinal studies for effects of institutionalisation

Rutter’s ERA (2011)

Bucharest intervention project: Zeenah (2005)

What is

Rutter’s ERA (2011)

Bucharest intervention project: Zeenah (2005)

2 key longitudinal studies for effects of institutionalisation

When did Ritter do his study?

2011

Who did a study of English + Romanian orphans in 2011?

Rutter

Rutter’s ERA (2011) method (3)

-Followed a group of 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain

-Physical, cognitive + emotional development assessed at age 4,6,11,15

-Control group of 25 British adoptees

What is

-Followed a group of 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain

-Physical, cognitive + emotional development assessed at age 4,6,11,15

-Control group of 25 British adoptees

Rutter’s ERA (2011)

How many Romanian orphans followed in Rutter’s ERA (2011)?

165 adopted into Britain

What followed 165 Romanian orphans adopted into Britain?

Rutter’s ERA (2011)

What was the control group in Rutter’s ERA?

25 British adoptees

What had 25 British adoptees as a control group?

Rutter’s ERA (2011)

What was assessed in Rutter’s ERA (2011) and at what ages?

Physical, cognitive and emotional development

Assessed at 4,6,11,15

What is

Physical, cognitive and emotional development

Assessed at 4,6,11,15

What was assessed in Rutter’s ERA (2011)

Findings of Rutter’s ERA (2011) (5)

50% of orphans showed mental retardation when they came to UK

Age 11 recovery rates related to age of adoption:

-Adopted before 6 months: Mean IQ of 102

-Adopted 6months -2 years: Mean IQ of 86

-Adopted after 2 years: Mean IQ of 77

What is

50% of orphans showed mental retardation when they came to UK

Age 11 recovery rates related to age of adoption:

-Adopted before 6 months: Mean IQ of 102

-Adopted 6months -2 years: Mean IQ of 86

-Adopted after 2 years: Mean IQ of 77

Findings of Rutter’s ERA (2011)

How many of the orphans in Rutter’s ERA showed mental retardation when they came to UK?

50%

What did 50% of the orphans in Rutter’s ERA show when they came to the UK?

Mental retardation

What was recovery of Romanian orphans linked to?

Discovered at age 11 that age adopted linked to recovery rates

Mean IQ if adopted before 6 months

102

Who had a mean IQ of 102?

Romanian orphans adopted before 6 months

Mean IQ if adopted 6 months -2 years

86

Who had a mean IQ of 86?

Romanian orphans adopted 6 months-2 years

Mean IQ if adopted after 2 years

77

Who had a mean IQ of 77?

Romanian orphans if adopted after 2 years

Conclusion of Rutter’s ERA (3)

-Frequency of disinhibited attachment related to age of adoption

-Children adopted after 6 months: clingy, attention seeking, indiscriminate affection towards strangers. Rare if adopted before 6 months

→ support idea of sensitive period

What is

-Frequency of disinhibited attachment related to age of adoption

-Children adopted after 6 months: clingy, attention seeking, indiscriminate affection towards strangers. Rare if adopted before 6 months

→ support idea of sensitive period

Conclusion of Rutter’s ERA (2011)

What does Rutter’s ERA support?

Idea of a sensitive period

What was rare if children adopted after 6 months?

Clingy, attention seeking and indiscriminate affection towards strangers

What is Clingy, attention seeking and indiscriminate affection towards strangers behaviour?

Seen in children adopted after 6 months

Rare if adopted before

In Rutter’s ERA, what was frequency of disinhibited attachment linked to?

Age of adoption

Who did the Bucharest intervention project?

Zeenah (2005)

What did Zeenah (2005) do?

Bucharest intervention project

Zeenah (2005) Method (4)

-Sample of almost 100 children b/t 12+31 months, 90% who had spent most lives in orphanage

-Sample compared to control group never been institutionalised

-Attachment type assessed using Strange situation

-Parents and carers asked about behaviour eg: clingyness, attention seeking to determine if disinhibited attachment was present

What is

-Sample of almost 100 children b/t 12+31 months, 90% who had spent most lives in orphanage

-Sample compared to control group never been institutionalised

-Attachment type assessed using Strange situation

-Parents and carers asked about behaviour eg: clingyness, attention seeking to determine if disinhibited attachment was present

Method of Zeenah (2005)

When did Zeenah do Bucharest intervention project?

2005

Findings of Zeenah (2005) (3)

-74% of control group classified as securely attached

-19% of institutionalised group securely attached

-65% of institutionalised group had disinhibited attachment

What is

-74% of control group classified as securely attached

-19% of institutionalised group securely attached

-65% of institutionalised group had disinhibited attachment

Findings of Zeenah (2005)

How much of control group was securely attached in Zeenah (2005)?

74% vs 19% in institutionalised group

How much of institutionalised group was securely attached in Zeenah (2005)?

19% vs 74% in control group

How much of institutionalised group had disinhibited attachment in Zeenah (2005)?

65%

What group in Zeenah (2005) were 19% securely attached?

Institutionalised

74% in control group

What group in Zeenah (2005) were 74% securely attached?

Control group

19% in institutionalised group

What group in Zeenah (2005) did 65% show disinhibited attachment?

Institutionalised

Conclusion of Zeenah (2005)

Infants who spend early years in institutional care w/ absence of primary caregiver to provide consistent and and sensitive emotional care less likely to experience secure attachment, more likely to experience disinhibited attachment

What is

Infants who spend early years in institutional care w/ absence of primary caregiver to provide consistent and and sensitive emotional care less likely to experience secure attachment, more likely to experience disinhibited attachment

Conclusion of Zeenah (2005)

Infants who spend early years in institutions w/ absence of primary caregiver lack

consistent sensitive and emotional care

3 effects of institutionalisation

Disinhibited attachment

Intellectual disability

Hard to form attachments (sensitive period)

What is

Disinhibited attachment

Intellectual disability

Hard to form attachments (sensitive period)

3 effects of institutionalisation

PET scan evidence of effect of institutionalisation

PET scan of 10 orphans adopted from Romania comp. w/ 17 normal adults + 7 normal children

Showed:

•Mild nuerocognitive impairment

•Attention + social deficits

•Significantly decreased activity in areas such as orbital frontal gyrus, parts of prefrontal cortex and brain stem

Researcher concluded this coz of stress of early deprivation

What is

PET scan of 10 orphans adopted from Romania comp. w/ 17 normal adults + 7 normal children

Showed:

•Mild nuerocognitive impairment

•Attention + social deficits

•Significantly decreased activity in areas such as orbital frontal gyrus, parts of prefrontal cortex and brain stem

Researcher concluded this coz of stress of early deprivation

PET scan evidence of effect of institutionalisation

Sample of PET scans for effect of institutionalisation

10 orphans adopted from Romania comp. w/ 17 normal adults + 7 normal children

3 parts of the brain orphans adopted from Romania showed significantly less activity in in PER scans

•brain stem

•orbital frontal gyrus

•prefrontal cortex

What is

•brain stem

•orbital frontal gyrus

•prefrontal cortex

3 parts of the brain orphans adopted from Romania showed significantly less activity in in PET scans

5 things shown in PET scans of orphans adopted from Romania brains

•mild neurocognitive impairment

•social + attention deficits

•significantly lowered activity in areas such as brain stem, orbital frontal cortex + brain stem

What did researcher conclude the reasons for their results in PET scans of 10 Romanian orphans were?

Stress of early deprivation

2 strengths of research into institutionalisation

-Rutter’s study has real life application into social services

-Key studies are longitudinal

Strength of research into institutionalisation- Rutter’s study has real life application to social services

P: Rutter’s study has real life application to social services

E: Mothers were encouraged to keep child until critical period over. Now, adoption early as one week old so child can securely attach to adoptive mother

I+D: Not all adoptive children have same experience so idiographic approach needed

C: Research has benefited children in institutions

Strength of research into institutionalisation- Key studies are longitudinal

P: Key studies are longitudinal

E: Allows researchers to assess short-term + long-term effects of institutionalisation and adoption

I+D: Not all adoptive children have the same experience so idiographic approach needed

C: Results appear as valid representation of effects of being placed in care

2 limitations of research into institutionalisation

-Deprivation is only one factor in development

-Issues with generalisation

Limitation of research into institutionalisation - Deprivation is only one factor in development

P: Deprivation is only one factor in development

E: Orphans had little to no mental stimulation and often malnourished

I+D: Not all adoptive children have the same experience so idiographic approach needed

C: Multiple factors affect outcome of institutionalisation, not just deprivation

Limitaion of research into institutionalisation- Issues with generalisation

P: Issues with generalisation

E: Conditions so dire in Romanian orphanages, cant be considered typical

I+D: Not all adoptive children have the same experience so idiographic approach needed

C: Results dont represent all situations of institutionalisation. Lack of external validity