ADOPTED AND BIOLOGICAL CHILDREN IN THE CLINIC - FAMILY, PARENTAL AND CHILD CHARACTERISTICS

Adopted children are overrepresented in referrals to mental health fac ilities. Research has described child symptomatology but has rarely de scribed family characteristics or how adoptive and biological families presenting a child for treatment differ. This study took a systemic a pproach carrying out a multilevel assessment of families of adopted an d biological children presented for treatment with adopted and biologi cal nonclinical comparison groups. The results from this study of 88 p arents of 7-17-year-old children suggest that adoptive families have g reater social and psychological resources that can be relied on in tre atment. However, adopted children are perceived to have more problems and their families are more likely to consider removal of the child as a solution to problems. Therapists' failure to appreciate these uniqu e strengths and vulnerabilities of adoptive families can lead to treat ment failure.