OPEN LETTER FROM ADULT ADOPTEE MOVEMENT
TO JANET DABY, MINISTER FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
10 April, 2025
Dear Minister,
Shocking new research on outcomes for adoptees and first (birth) mothers calls for immediate action. The preliminary findings by Dr Lynn Zubov of Winston Salem State University1 indicate:
- adoptees are 35 times more likely to attempt suicide then their non-adopted peers
- first mothers are 37 times more likely to attempt suicide
- first mothers are 600 times more likely to die by suicide
Furthermore, adoptees and first mothers suffer higher rates of mental and physical health problems including isolation, alcohol abuse and self-harm. It is crucial to note this study is age agnostic and includes adoptees who were removed at birth experiencing no neglect in the birth family. This research demonstrates that adoption itself is trauma, and the effects are lifelong and devastating.We urge you to take the following actions:
More research is needed to understand the scale of the problem including why adoptees appear to be over-represented in mental health facilities, addiction treatment and prison populations. Research should include adult adoptees of all ages, and first mothers, and should not be limited to young adult adoptees as it has been to date.
Mortality rates are unknown for these populations. Given these shocking results, indicating a significantly reduced average life expectancy for first mothers, we urgently need to find out when and how adoptees and first mothers die. For adoptees, it should be straightforward to sample the Register of Adopted Children and check for death records.
Adult adoptees must be front and centre of discussions on current and future practice. Our lived experience is essential in ensuring evidence-based policy directs a better future for children who cannot live with their birth families.
Better access to mental health support must be secured for all adults affected by adoption. At present there is extremely limited provision. This support must be adoption-trauma informed and independent from organisations that facilitate adoptions or are adopter-led.
This latest research gives a glimpse into the daily experience of hundreds of thousands of affected people. It has implications for public policy and service provision in a multitude of areas. There is a mental health crisis amongst the adoptee community. The Government must act now.
Adult Adoptee Movement
For background on the paucity of information and statistics about outcomes for adoptees, please see our website: https://adultadoptee.uk/adult-adoptee-statistics/
2 replies on “Open letter”
Thank you so much for writing this and stating the devastating effects that can be experienced by us adoptees. I have had a lifetime of soul searching, therapy (paid for privately), a broken marriage and breakdown of 2 other long term relationships, numerous thoughts and plans of suicide (always after a relationship breakdown), mental health diagnoses, medication for 18 years, mental health hospital inpatient treatment 3 times, issues with addiction and suffered sexual abuse within the adopted family. I have researched so much into the trauma of this and now aged 54 am finally starting to understand myself a little more. To say life has been a struggle is an understatement. I still need help and support and am 9 months into waiting for some NHS therapy which is likely to be another 9 months away. There is so much I could say and we all have our life stories, no one should be left to suffer and navigate this alone. Research and support is crucial and well overdue.
Mary, As you have mentioned the NHS in your response I deduce that you are from the UK, the same as me. I am an adult adoptee of 66 years of age and have had several attempts at therapy both private and NHS throughout my adult life. Not one single therapist, counsellor or mental healthcare professional has had the slightest insight into the trauma of adoption and none of them has been able to help me to navigate my feelings. So much of the research seems to be USA-led, however if you have not done so already I would highly recommend reading some of the excellent books about the adoption experience written by American authors. Reading them changed my life; they gave me the language with which to explain how I feel and knowing someone understood me took a huge burden off my shoulders. I would highly recommend The Primal Wound by Nancy Verrier and Lost and Found; The Ghost Kingdom and Twice Born – all by Betty Jean Lifton. You are not alone – I only wish there were similar research and insights happening in the UK.