effects of institutionalisation

• Romanian Orphans research

  • Rutter et al (2011): the English and Romanian Adoptee Study has followed 165 Romanian orphans adopted in the UK for many years. Their physical, emotional and cognitive development has been assessed at a variety of ages. Initially, all showed delayed intellectual development.
• Romanian Orphans research (cont)

  • Rutter et al (2011): At 11, the mean IQ score for those adopted before the age of 6 months was 102, compared with those adopted between 6 months and 2 years who had a mean IQ score of 86, those adopted after 2 years had a mean score of 77. Those adopted after the age of 6 months showed signs of particular attachment style called disinhinited attachment. Symptoms includes; clingy, attention seeking directed to all adults even strangers
• Romanian Orphans research

  • Zeanah et al (2005): the Bucharest Early Intervention project assessed 95 Romanian orphans aged 12-31 months. Only 19% were classified as securely attached and 44% were disinhibited
• Evaluation of Orphan Studies

  • real world application: has led to improvements in how we care for children. i.e assigning key workers and a preference for foster care over institutions
  • confounding variables: high internal validity as these orphans did not suffer trauma or abuse before entering the institute unlike some other orphan studies
  • lack of data: the latest data only assess the orphans in their 20s. We do not know yet the long term effects or whether adopted children may catch up with the control group