10. Romanian Orphan Studies - Institutionalisation

• 1. Romanian Orphan Studies - Institutionalisation

  Romanian Orphan Studies:

  • Deprivation on emotional/intellectual dev.
  • 1990s Romania, couldn’t afford keep children = orphanages.
  • Many adopted by British parents.
• 2. Romanian Orphan Studies - Institutionalisation

  Rutter et al. (2011):

  • 165 Romanian orphans adopted in UK.
  • Control group = 52 UK adopted.
  • Extent to which good care makes up for early institutionalisation.
  • Physical/cognitive/emotional dev assessed at diff age intervals.
  • Delayed intellectual dev — mean IQ of adopted before 6-months 102, compared to 77 adopted after 2yrs.
• 3. Romanian Orphan Studies - Institutionalisation

  Zeanah et al. (2005):

  • 95 Romanian children, most life in institutional care.
  • Control group = 50, never institutionalised.
  • Measured using SS.
  • 74% secure-att (control group).
  • 19% secure-att (institutional group).
  • 20% disinhibited-att (control group).
  • 44% disinhibited-att (institutional group).
• 4. Romanian Orphan Studies - Institutionalisation

  Effects of Institutionalisation:

  Disinhibited Attachment

  • Equal treatment of adults/strangers.
  • Adaption to living w/ multiple caregivers during sensitive period.
  • Romanian institutions poor condition so can‘t form secure att.
• 4a. Romanian Orphan Studies - Institutionalisation

  Effects of Institutionalisation:

  Intellectual Disability

  • Those adopted before 6 months caught up w/ control group by 4-years-old.
  • Can be recovered as long as adoption happens before 6 months.
• Romanian Orphan Studies - Institutionalisation (Evaluation)

  Strength:

  P - real-life/practical to improve institution conditions.

  E - Romanian orphans improved understanding of early institution + how prevent worse effects.

  E - improvement in conditions; e.g. avoiding large amount of caregivers, instead having 1-2 key workers.

  L - institutional care undesirable, but have change to develop normal attachment.
• Romanian Orphan Studies - Institutionalisation (Evaluation)

  Strength:

  P - lack confounding variables.

  E - children from Romanian orphanages handed over by loving parents.

  E - other institution studies, experienced varying trauma = difficult interpret events.

  L - results less likely confounded by other negative early experiences (high internal validity).
• Romanian Orphan Studies - Institutionalisation (Evaluation)

  Limitation:

  P - lack current data on development.

  E - can’t answer questions on long-term effects of institutionalisation.

  E - MH problems + success in forming/maintaining romantic + parental relationships.

  L - takes time get this data bc of longitudinal study, meaning some time before know more about long-term effects.