Stability and change of attachment disorder symptoms and interpersonal problems in foster children

Abstract

Abstract This paper focuses on the longitudinal examination of perceived reactive attachment disorder (RAD) symptoms and indiscriminate, insecure and pseudomature behavior in foster children, many of them having experienced maltreatment and neglect in the family of origin. A total of 84 foster children - aged between 2 and 7 years - and 146 biological children (comparison group) participated across three assessments, with approximately six months between each assessment. At the first measurement, foster children had been living about 18 months on average in the current foster family. The child s RAD symptoms and interpersonal problems were assessed by parent reports (usually completed by the mother) on the Relationship Problems Questionnaire (RPQ) and the Assessment Checklist for Children (ACC), respectively. Foster parents reported substantially more RAD symptoms and further interpersonal problems than biological parents across all assessments. RAD symptoms and interpersonal problems declined over time in both, the foster care and the comparison group. The symptoms showed high rank-order stabilities and moderate to high intercorrelations among each other. To conclude, our findings indicate a high persistency of behavioral and emotional interpersonal problems in young foster children.