Editorial

Abstract

A number of the papers in the present issue have clinical implications related to the role of families in child development. The first paper by Rutter and his colleagues from the English and Romanian Adoptees study team concerns the impact of gross early privations on subsequent development. The adoption into English families of children from Romanian institutions constituted a most informative natural experiment because horrendous early experiences were followed by placement into rather better than average family circumstances. The paper documents the poor state of most children at the time of coming to the U.K. and the spectacular degree of cognitive, as well as physical, catch-up. The findings attest to the remarkable resilience shown by many individuals, even after quite extreme privation. However, they also show that recovery was not always complete, especially if the privation lasted beyond the early months of life. Because the privation in Romanian institutions was so severe and pervasive it proved difficult to isolate the key element leading to lasting deficits, but the pattern of findings suggests that psychological privations may have been more damaging than nutritional ones. The results highlight the need for clinicians to be alert to the sequelae of serious neglect, but also to be aware that provision of a good rearing environment in a supportive family can do much to alleviate the damage.