Adopted children have higher rates of mental health problems than all other children, according to a federal report on the health and well-being of U.S. children released on Thursday.
About 2.5 percent of U.S. children are adopted, but the National Institutes of Health report found the disruption that affects some children who are adopted after the first month of their lives may have long-term effects.
The survey of adoptive parents found 29 percent of adopted children had moderate to severe health problems—compared to 12 percent of all children. Children who were in foster care before being adopted were more likely to have one or more moderate to severe health problems than children adopted other ways.
About 12 percent of adopted children were found to have a learning disability, 12 percent received a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder, and 8 percent had behavior or conduct problems.
Older children—ages 12 to 17—were the most likely to have health problems. The survey found 45 percent of older children adopted from foster care had one or more moderate to severe health conditions, compared with 29 percent of older children adopted privately within the United States and 27 percent of children adopted internationally.
“The higher percentage of adopted children with mental and physical health problems is likely due to a variety of factors,” Laura Radel, senior social science analyst in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation at the Department of Health and Human Services, said in a telephone interview. “Many of these children experience trauma early on, and the disruption in parenting, even in infants, has serious implications later on in life.”
More than half of adoptive children have parents who think it is likely that their adopted child was exposed to alcohol or drugs in the womb. This is a much higher rate than national statistics indicate for drug and alcohol use during pregnancy, Radel said.
Radel did note that survey results were based on parents' responses and the agency did not follow up with physicians to confirm mental health diagnoses.
The report, "America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2011," looks at statistics compiled from a variety of federal reports on children on topics ranging from adoption to how often parents read to their children.
The report found that adopted children from birth to age 5 were more likely to be read to every day than children with their birth parents.
The report also found a small drop in teenage pregnancy rates over the past two years; a decline in accidental deaths due in large part to stricter policies on teenage driving; and fewer high school seniors reporting binge drinking. The survey also found higher illicit drug use among eighth graders and more children living in poverty.
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