title: Adolescents' feelings about openness in adoption: implications for adoption agencies.
abstract: Adoption research commonly uses parents' reports of satisfaction when examining openness in adoption arrangements. This qualitative study aimed to fill a gap in the adoption research by using adolescents' voices to gain a better understanding of their adoption experiences. Adopted adolescents (n = 152) were interviewed concerning their satisfaction with the openness in their adoption arrangements with their birthmothers. Results and implications from this study may affect how adoption agencies work with adopted adolescents and their families, and may influence a broader understanding of the recent trend toward open adoption arrangements.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Jerica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Berge
authors.forename: Tai J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Mendenhall
authors.forename: Gretchen M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Wrobel
authors.forename: Harold D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Grotevant
authors.forename: Ruth G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: McRoy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000300:Adoption / Q000523:psychology*; D001290:Attitude; D004644:Emotions; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007062:Identification, Psychological; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D014481:United States