Romanian Orphans

• Define institutionalisation.

  Institutionalisation refers to the effects of living in environments like hospitals or orphanages for extended periods. These settings often lack emotional care, leading to loss of personal identity and fewer primary attachments compared to family-raised children.
• What was the aim of Rutter's ERA study?

  To investigate if the negative effects of institutionalisation are reversible when placed in good care.
• How many Romanian orphans entered the orphanage in Rutter's ERA study?

  165 Romanian orphans entered the orphanage as small babies between one and two weeks old. The conditions were very poor.
• In Rutter's ERA study 58 babies were adopted before 6 months old, 59 were adopted between 6 months and two years and 48 were classified as late-placed adoptees and were adopted between 2 and 4 years old.
• What was the control group in Rutter's ERA study?

  52 British children that were adopted around the same time
• In Rutter's ERA study what developments were assessed at what ages? How ere they assessed?

  Physical, cognitive and emotional development was assessed at ages 4, 6, 11, 15 and 22-25 years using interviews and observations of their behaviour.
• What were the findings in Rutter's ERA study when the children first arrived in the UK?

  Half of the adopted children showed signs of delayed intellectual development and the majority were severely malnourished.
• What were the findings of Rutter's ERA study in terms of rate of recovery?

  At age 11, most showed differential rates of recovery depending on the age at which they were adopted.
• What were the findings of Rutter's ERA study in terms of IQ and ADHD?

  The mean IQ of those children who were adopted before the age of 6 months was 102, compared to 86 for those adopted between 6 months and 2 years and 77 for those adopted after 2 years. ADHD was more common in 15 and 22-25 year old samples.
• What were the findings of Rutter's ERA study in terms of disinhibited attachment?

  Children adopted after 6 months showed evidence of ‘disinhibited attachment’ which was defined as ‘a pattern of seeking attention non-selectively’, or ‘superficially accepting anyone as a caregiver’ and clinginess. In contrast disinhibited attachment was extremely rare in UK adoptees and early adopted children before 6 months old.
• What was the conclusion of Rutter's ERA study?

  The results suggest that the longer a child spends in an institution before being adopted, the more likely they are to experience negative and long term consequences on both intellectual and social development that are irreversible.
• What are the effects of institutionalisation?

  • Disinhibited attachment disorder
  • Intellectual disability
  • Problems forming peer relationships
• What are the symptoms of disinhibited attachment disorder?

  Symptoms include; attention-seeking behaviour towards adults, even strangers, a lack of fear of strangers, making inappropriate physical contact with adults and lack of checking back to the parent in stressful situations.
• Children who experience institutionalisation are found to have lower IQ levels compared to children who have not experienced institutionalisation.
• Why do institutionalised people have problems forming peer relationships?

  Due to a lack of the internal working model