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Title of Systematic Narrative
Review
Longer-term Outcomes of Adopted
Adults' Reunions with Birth Relatives
Abstract
Context:
The Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 enables adopted adults in Northern
Ireland to access their original birth record information, thereby creating the
option of tracing biological relatives. The Post-Adoption Team's Intermediary
Service assists directly in the reunion process, by approaching birth relatives on
behalf of the adopted person, and also facilitating initial contact between adopted
adults and their birth family. Since the team's inception, many adoptees have
established contact with their birth family. Historically, social work involvement in
reunions has ended shortly after face-to-face introductions, and while further
support can be accessed at a later stage, team referral records show this is very
rarely requested. Consequently, our knowledge as to the longer-term outcomes
of these reunions is quite limited.
There is limited research regarding the longer-term outcomes of post-reunion
relationships and what helps or hinders their progress. This systematic narrative
review explores the emergent themes from the findings of fourteen studies.
Methods employed in the review:
On 6th
January 2020, a systematic and iterative search was undertaken using
three databases:
PsycINFO (Ovid platform),
Social Care Online,
Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA).
A search strategy was developed, employing the following concept terms:
adoption OR post-adoption OR after adoption
AND
adopted adult OR adult adoptee OR adult adopted
AND
reuni* OR post-reuni* OR after reuni*
Peer-reviewed journals, from 1987 to 2020, were scrutinised for relevance in