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Objective: In 2011, the number of adopted children in Turkey was 20617. In the United States, approximately 120000 children are adopted annually, and adopted individuals is consisting of about 1.5 million children younger than 18 years. The face of adoption is changing, however, as decreasing domestic adoptions have been accompanied by a sharp increase in the number of international adoptions. Worldwide, approximately 40000 children per year are moved between more than 100 countries through adoption. This study’s aim is to investigate adopted child and adolescent cases referred to Tekirdag State Hospital child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic.
Method: File information of 27 cases that were referred to Tekirdag State Hospital, child psychiatry clinic between 01 June 2010 and 31 May 2012 were reviewed retrospectively. Socio-demographic characteristics of the children and reasons for referral determined.
Results: The mean age of the delinquent children was 10.870±3.623, 66.7% were female (n=18), 59.3% (n=16) of the children’s mother was housewife and mean age of these mothers was 50.000±6.138. The most reason for application was irritability (44%, n=12) and the most diagnosis was anxiety disorders (22%, n=6). The most common treatment method was the use of SSRI (44.4%, n=12).
Conclusion: The studies show that; adopted children did not differ from their non-adopted peers or siblings from the same environment in terms of IQ, but their school performance and language abilities lagged behind, and more adopted children developed learning problems. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the factors that increase mental health and behavioral problems in foster children and measures must be taken for these issues. Follow-up and treatment of adopted children must continue in child psychiatry outpatient clinics to take precautions against mental illness that may arise in the future.