Psychiatric Disorders Among Adopted Children

Research indicates that adopted children are disproportionately represented in child psychiatric populations, a finding variously attributed to ascertainment bias; to adverse pre-, peri-, and post-natal environmental factors associated with adoption; and to genetic factors. A review of the literature supports the view that adopted children are particularly prone to externalizing disorders and that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to the manifestation of these disorders. Parents and professionals are urged to avoid attributing psychiatric problems of adoptees solely to a single factor and to provide early intervention for children at risk.