Updated Systematic Review of Psychological Interventions With Adoptive Parents to Improve the Well-being of Their Adopted Children

This research is an update of the systematic review conducted by Ni Chobhthaigh and Duffy in 2019, which included data up to 2017. The updated review covers a later period (2018–2023) and follows the updated PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The aim is to identify new evidence regarding the effectiveness of psychological interventions with adoptive parents on the well-being of their adopted children, and to provide an updated profile of the characteristics of effective interventions in this field.

The literature review was conducted across two relevant databases and grey literature sources. Documents published in English between 2018 and 2023 that reported on the effectiveness of psychological interventions delivered to adoptive parents, measuring psychological outcomes in their adopted children, were included. The design of the interventions had to be evaluative, empirical, and quantitative. In total, eleven studies with 748 adoptive families or individuals describing seven different types of interventions were included, and the risk of bias in each was assessed in accordance with the guidelines of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions.

Most interventions targeted adoptive families or adoptive parent couples. All interventions were based on attachment theory and measured the psychological well-being of adopted children (Cohen’s d range: nonsignificant to 1.2), as well as the parent-child relationship (Cohen’s d range: 0.21 – 0.97); in some cases, they also examined the behavioural functioning of the target population (Cohen’s d range: 0,45 – 0.68).

The findings from the two systematic reviews indicate promising results regarding the effectiveness of certain interventions based on the use of video feedback and the therapeutic effect of play. However, the high levels of risk of bias observed in some studies suggest caution when interpreting the findings.

Plain Language Summary

This study updates the 2019 systematic review by Ni Chobhthaigh and Duffy, which included research up to 2017, extending the analysis to 2018–2025 following best practice. Its aim was to identify new evidence on the effectiveness of psychological interventions with adoptive parents for improving adopted children’s well-being, and to provide an updated profile of effective intervention characteristics. The review searched different databases and grey literature, including studies published in English between 2018 and 2025. Eligible studies evaluated psychological interventions delivered to adoptive parents, measuring psychological outcomes in adopted children, and employed empirical, quantitative, and evaluative designs. Eleven studies, involving 748 adoptive families or individuals and seven types of interventions, were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Most interventions targeted adoptive families or parent couples and were grounded in attachment theory. Outcomes measured included psychological well-being of adopted children (large changes), parent–child relationship and in some cases, behavioural functioning (in both cases, the changes vary from medium to large). Findings from both the original and updated reviews suggest promising effects of video feedback and play-based interventions. However, high levels of bias in several studies indicate results should be interpreted with caution.