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Improving social–emotional competence in internationally adopted children with the Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up intervention

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 July 2020

Teresa Lind Open the ORCID record for Teresa Lind [Opens in a new window] ,
K. Lee Raby Open the ORCID record for K. Lee Raby [Opens in a new window] ,
Alison Goldstein ,
Kristin Bernard ,
EB Caron ,
Heather A. Yarger Open the ORCID record for Heather A. Yarger [Opens in a new window] ,
Allison Wallin  and
Mary Dozier
Teresa Lind*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of California–San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA Child and Adolescent Services Research Center (CASRC), San Diego, CA, USA
K. Lee Raby
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Alison Goldstein
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Science, University of California–Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
Kristin Bernard
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
EB Caron
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Science, Fitchburg State University, Fitchburg, MA, USA
Heather A. Yarger
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
Allison Wallin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
Mary Dozier
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
*
Author for correspondence: Teresa Lind, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 3665 Kearny Villa Road, Suite 200N, San Diego, CA92123; E-mail: [email protected].
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Abstract

Children adopted internationally experience adverse conditions prior to adoption, placing them at risk for problematic social–emotional development. The Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC) intervention was designed to help internationally adoptive parents behave in ways that promote young children's social–emotional competence. Participants included 131 parent–child dyads randomly assigned to receive either ABC (n = 65) or a control intervention (n = 66). In addition, 48 low-risk biologically related parent–child dyads were included as a comparison group. At follow-up assessments conducted when children were 24 to 36 months old, internationally adopted children who received the ABC intervention had higher levels of parent-reported social–emotional competence than children who received a control intervention. In addition, observational assessments conducted when children were 48 and 60 months of age showed that internationally adopted children who received ABC demonstrated higher social–emotional competence than children who received a control intervention. Adopted children who received the control intervention, but not the ABC intervention, displayed more difficulties with social–emotional competence than low-risk children. Finally, postintervention parent sensitivity mediated the effect of ABC on observed child social–emotional competence in parent interactions, controlling for preintervention parent sensitivity. These results demonstrate the efficacy of a parenting-focused intervention in enhancing social–emotional competence among children adopted internationally.

Keywords

adoptionearly interventionparentingsocial–emotional competence
Type
Regular Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 33 , Issue 3 , August 2021 , pp. 957 - 969
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2020

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