Personal strengths and traumatic experiences among institutionalized children given up at birth (Les Enfants de Duplessis--Duplessis' children): I: Early experiences.
We examined childhood and early adult strengths and adverse experiences of a group of orphans given up at or near birth and raised in Quebec institutions into early adulthood. A follow-up interview of 81 adults (41 women, 40 men) at a mean age of 59.2 years included retrospective assessments of childhood experiences. Most participants reported multiple early adverse experiences, including, in descending order, unfair rules and excessive punishment, physical abuse, emotional neglect, witnessing violence, verbal abuse, physical neglect, sexual abuse, and serious illness. Adverse experiences were mainly due to lay caretakers, not peers or nuns. Twelve childhood strengths, such as self-protectiveness and athletic talent, were scored at each of four age periods, yielding a median score equivalent to one strength at each period. Over half had significant childhood attachments, but of limited intimacy. Childhood variables correlated with their respective variables in later adulthood. Overall, these older adults reported a high prevalence of adverse or traumatic childhood experiences, counterbalanced by modest levels of individual strengths and attachment relationships. Institutionalization of children--if unavoidable--must build in effective safeguards against adverse experiences.
Perry
J Christopher
JC
Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry, Sir Mortimer B. Davis Jewish General Hospital, 4222 Chemin de la Côte Ste-Catherine, Montréal, Québec H3T 1E4, Canada.
Sigal
John J
JJ
Boucher
Sophie
S
Paré
Nikolas
N
Ouimet
Marie Claude
MC
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002674:Child, Institutionalized / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009769:Object Attachment; D010551:Personality; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology