romanian orphan studies & effects of institutionalisation

• Institutionalisation


  The effect of institutional care. Refers to the effects of time spent in an institution on the development of children.
• Institutionalisation may lead to social, mental and physical underdevelopment and some of these effects may be irreversible
• RUTTER ET AL ROMANIAN ORPHAN STUDY (2011)


  Aim: to test whether good care could make up for poor early experiences in institutions in a longitudinal study of Romanian orphans
• RUTTER ET AL ROMANIAN ORPHAN STUDY (2011) Procedure

  1. Followed 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain, testing them at regular intervals to assess their physical, cognitive and social development

  2. A group of 52 British children adopted around the same time served as a control group
• LA MERE ET AL ROMANIAN ORPHAN STUDY (2006)


  Procedure: Longitudinal study of 36 Romanian orphans adopted to families in Canada, focusing on their physical growth and health
• Disinhibited attachment


  When individuals who have been raised in institutional care are equally friendly and affectionate towards people they know well or who are strangers
• Intellectual development problems


  Institutionalised children may show a lower IQ score than average or show severe problems with their intellect and be classed as mentally retarded
• Physical underdevelopment


  Children who have experienced a lack of emotional care may show physical underdevelopment as well as emotional problems. The production of growth hormones is affected by the severe emotional disturbance resulting in physical underdevelopment
• Poor parents


  Institutionalised children may become poor parents later on in life due to lack of a role model
• Deprivation dwarfism


  Children who have a lack of emotional care may be physically underdeveloped, as well as having emotional problems. The production of hormones are affected by severe emotional disturbances which may result in this dwarfism
• Attachment disorder


  A psychiatric disorder that affects a child's social and emotional development. There are 3 factors related with attachment disorder: children have experienced severe neglect or frequent changes of caregiver, they have no preferred attachment figure, and they have an ability to interact and relate to others which is evident before the age of 5
• Institutionalisation is placing children in a home in which carers are responsible for looking after the child as the mother is not responsible for the child's upbringing
• One effect of institutionalisation is institutionalised children may become poor parents later on in life due to not being raised with a role model. Quinton et al (1984) found women raised in institutions had extreme difficulties when acting as parents
• Another effect is deprivation dwarfism – children who have a lack of emotional care may be physically underdeveloped as well as having emotional problems. The production of hormones are affected by severe emotional disturbances which may result in deprivation dwarfism
• Rutter et al (2011) study


  1. Aim: to test whether good care could make up for poor early experiences in institutions

  2. Procedure: Followed 165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain, testing them at regular intervals to assess physical, cognitive and social development. There was a control group of 52 British children adopted around the same time

  3. Findings: At age 11 the mean IQ of the children adopted before the age of 6 months was 102 compared to 86 for those adopted between 6 months- 2 years and 77 for those adopted after 2 years. Children adopted after 6 months showed symptoms of disinhibited attachment

  4. Conclusion: There are severe long term effects of institutionalisation but these effects can be avoided if the child is able to form an attachment before 6 months