Who Supports Transracial Adult Adoptees Through Consciousness? A Secondary Analysis Study

This study is a secondary analysis of qualitative research that explored how transracial adoptees experience consciousness using the adoptee consciousness model. The original study involved focus groups in which 23 United States-based, adult transracial adoptee participants discussed their lived experiences of adoptee consciousness. Those focus group transcripts were transcribed, de-identified, and coded by the original research team. The secondary analysis research questions are (1) Who supports transracial adoptees during adoptee consciousness? and (2) How do they support transracial adoptees in the consciousness process? The secondary analysis methodology applied Thematic Analysis to identify patterns and themes from the original dataset transcriptions. Findings shed light on how participants in the study experienced support and/or lack of support. The findings offer guidance on how families, friends, and mental health professionals can provide meaningful support to transracial adoptees as they move through awareness of their understanding of adoption and their identities.