Trauma in midlife adoptees: a qualitative analysis of Adult Attachment Interview narratives

AbstractBackground: Although adoption is recognised as a life-long process, there are few studies which extend to midlife, and explored the lived experience of being an adoptee. Objective: The present study explored the lived experience of midlife adoptees, using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; George et al. 1985-1996) to generate data that can be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.Participants and setting: AAIs were conducted with 17 adopted adults with a variety of pre and post-adoption experiences. Method: Participant narratives were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, guided by the process laid out in Braun and Clarke (2021). Results: Analysis resulted in the identification of three distinct themes: (i) 'Coming out of the fog' (ii) Unresolved Grief (iii) Living in Fear. In addition, there were five subthemes. Conclusions: This study provides evidence of trauma associated with adoptive status, our themes captured unique challenges derived from adoptive status, regardless of the variation within adoption experience. The implications of these challenges for future research, practice and policy are discussed.