Attachment in adopted adolescents. National adoption in Chile

The focus of this study is on the description of attachment patterns in adopted adolescents, taking into consideration the age when they were adopted and a comparison with the control group of non-adopted adolescents paired by age, gender, educational level and socio-economic level. Participants: 25 adolescents adopted at the age of 6 months of older through national adoption agencies and 25 non-adopted adolescents. To evaluate the patterns of attachment, a semi-structured interview was used: Friends and Family Interview (Steele & Steele, 2005). Results: Statistically significant differences were found in the attachment patterns of adopted and non-adopted adolescents. Adopted adolescents showed a more insecure attachment, a predominantly insecure-avoidant attachment. In conclusion, late adoptions are a risk factor for the development of secure attachment in adopted adolescents.

► We compared attachment style between adopted and non-adopted adolescents. ► We found that adopted adolescents showed a more insecure attachment. ► We found a predominantly insecure-avoidant attachment in adopted adolescent.