@article{ref1,
title="Longing to belong: the ambiguous loss of indigenous fostered/adopted individuals",
journal="Child abuse and neglect",
year="2023",
author="Simpson, Jessica E. and Landers, Ashley L. and White Hawk, Sandy",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Indigenous fostered/adopted individuals report high levels of grief because of their foster care/adoption. Little has been done, however, to explore how grief is experienced and the factors that contribute to said grief for fostered/adopted Indigenous individuals. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: This study examined the experiences of loss and grief of Indigenous individuals fostered/adopted during childhood. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Participants were 102 Indigenous fostered/adopted individuals who described the experiences of loss and grief related to adoption. <br><br>METHODS: This study utilized secondary data from the Fostered and Adopted Individuals Project. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted on open-ended survey data. <br><br>RESULTS: Two themes emerged: (1) ambiguous loss as a result of foster care and adoption and (2) the effects of the ambiguous loss that stem from foster care and adoption. Indigenous fostered/adopted persons experienced ambiguous loss in foster care and adoption. Their loss remained unresolved due to a loss of access to information about their family and tribe of origin. Although family of origin, tribal community, and culture were not physically present due to separation by foster care/adoption, they remained psychologically present. As a result of ambiguous loss, participants experienced disenfranchised grief, wondering and longing to belong, and mental health and substance abuse. <br><br>CONCLUSION: This study is the first of its kind to explore the loss and grief experiences of fostered/adopted Indigenous individuals using ambiguous loss theory. Ambiguous loss theory offers a framework for contextualizing the loss and grief that begins at separation and is present in adulthood.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0145-2134",
doi="10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106441",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106441"
}