نوع مقاله : پژوهشی

نویسندگان

• علیرضا طغیانی ¹
• معصومه اسمعیلی ²
• مرضیه مدنی‌فر ²

¹ دانشجوی کارشناسی ارشد مشاوره خانواده، دانشکده روانشناسی و علوم تربیتی، دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی، تهران، ایران

² گروه مشاوره، دانشکده روانشناسی و علوم تربیتی، دانشگاه علامه طباطبایی، تهران، ایران

چکیده

فرزندپذیری به عنوان شیوه‌ای مهم برای تأمین نیاز والدین به فرزند و نیز کودکان نیازمند خانواده به والدینی مسئول، فرآیندی پیچیده و مستلزم ارزیابی دقیق، آموزش تخصصی و حمایت مستمر از والدین متقاضی است. این مطالعه با رویکرد کیفی و هدف کاوش تجارب مادران فرزندپذیر از چالش‌های فرآیند فرزندپذیری انجام شد تا مبنایی علمی برای بهبود سیاست‌ها و شیوه‌های گزینش، آموزش و نظارت فراهم آورد. نمونه‌گیری هدفمند شامل ۱۱ مادر فرزندپذیر تحت پوشش سازمان بهزیستی بود و داده‌ها از طریق مصاحبه‌های عمیق تا اشباع نظری جمع‌آوری شدند. تحلیل داده‌ها با روش تحلیل مضمون انجام شد و در نهایت ۶ تم و ۱۲ مضمون اصلی استخراج گردید. یافته‌ها نشان دادند که مادران فرزندپذیر با چالش‌هایی از جمله: فرآیند طولانی و فرسایشی، ابهام در فرایند، شیب نامناسب آشنایی والد و کودک، شاخص‌های ناکارآمد و غیرپویای ارزیابی، جامع و کارآمد نبودن گزینش، آموزش و قطع تداوم آن، فقدان اخلاق حرفه‌ای و کرامت‌محوری در سبک گزینش، ضعف در نظارت و رصد خانواده و کودک، استفاده ناکافی از ظرفیت‌ها و شبکه‌سازی محدود خانواده ها، و تجربه هیجانات منفی و پیامدهای عینی ناکارآمدی سیستم مواجه هستند. این پژوهش بر اهمیت بازنگری و تقویت فرآیندهای گزینش، آموزش و نظارت والدین فرزندپذیر تأکید دارد و ارائه راهکارهای علمی و عملی می‌تواند به ارتقاء کیفیت زندگی خانواده‌های فرزندپذیر، افزایش سازگاری کودک و والد، و کاهش پیامدهای منفی ناشی از ناکارآمدی سیستم منجر شود.

کلیدواژه‌ها

• فرزندپذیری
• چالش‌های فرزندپذیری
• مادران فرزندپذیر
• آموزش فرزندپذیری
• نظارت فرزندپذیری

موضوعات

• مطالعات زنان

عنوان مقاله [English]

Analyzing the Challenges of Selection, Training, and Supervision in Child Adoption from the Perspective of Mothers: A Qualitative Study

نویسندگان [English]

• Alireza Toghyani Dowlatabadi ¹
• Masomeh Esmaeili ²
• Marziye madanifar ²

¹ Master's student in Family Counseling, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Counseling, Faculty of Psychology and Education, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran.

چکیده [English]

Extended Abstract

Introduction

The Law on the Support of Orphans, enacted in Esfand 1353, legalized adoption in Iran, establishing it as a complex and sensitive process within psychology, sociology, and law, characterized by profound emotional, social, and psychological dimensions (Shams, 1403). Adoptive parents encounter challenges and opportunities that significantly impact their quality of life and that of the adopted child. The primary factor for successful adoption is the unity, cohesion, and commitment of couples from the decision to adopt through the child’s integration into and eventual exit from the family system (Hosseinali Beiki & Esmaeili, 1398). Custody and guardianship are critical family issues, requiring substantial effort in child rearing (Lapidus, 2023), leading to the global establishment of custody laws to underscore their importance (Heshmati et al., 2024). Preparing mothers for adoption is vital, as children’s emotional and behavioral issues can lead to parental dissatisfaction, particularly among mothers. Access to parenting information, mental health education, and counseling services are predictable solutions to mitigate custody-related tensions (Gorla et al., 2023). The behavior of adopted children is influenced by the negative behavioral history of adoptive parents (Hogan et al., 2023). In Iran, over 2,000 children annually enter care systems, such as residential institutions and orphanages, due to neglect, abuse, parental death, or divorce resulting in loss of guardianship (Annual Report of the Welfare Organization, 2017). Conversely, families, often infertile, seek adoption to experience parenthood, making it a pathway for both infertile couples and children deprived of parental care (Howe & Weber, 2023). Parenting styles, reflecting parental attitudes and rules, are crucial, yet adoptive parents may lack the knowledge and skills to meet children’s needs (Fisher, 2015). Adaptation issues and inadequate parenting skills are stress-inducing factors post-adoption, potentially leading to adoption failure or dissolution (Steinberg et al., 2023). Parenting styles significantly shape children’s psychological and spiritual development (Hutauruk & Yusnadi, 2023). Thus, adoption evaluation and training processes are essential for parent selection by relevant institutions and for creating a healthy nurturing environment for the child. Adoption is a legal process establishing a parent-child relationship, not biologically but emotionally and socially, between orphaned or maltreated children and adoptive parents, per the 1392 law (Shams, 1403). This relationship, formalized through court rulings, involves duties of care, upbringing, maintenance, and respect, akin to those of biological parents, with the child obliged to respect the guardian appropriately (Adoption Regulation, 1385). Research highlights adoption’s multifaceted challenges, including psychological, emotional, and social issues like anxiety, stress, and societal pressures, which can negatively affect family life and parent-child adjustment (Folei et al., 2017; Brodzinsky et al., 2022).

Methodology

This study employed a conventional qualitative content analysis approach (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005) to explore adoptive mothers' perspectives and evaluations of adoption process challenges. Participants were mothers who legally adopted via Behzisti between 1394-1404, with at least six months post-adoption; initial purposive sampling from Tehran, followed by maximum variation from other provinces. Data from 11 online semi-structured interviews (average one hour) were collected until theoretical saturation (Aldiabat & Le Navenec, 2018). Analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step thematic method. Validation included coder re-review, participant verification, independent qualitative expert review with confidentiality, and specialist professor oversight (Lincoln & Guba, 1985, as cited in Babbie, 2013). Ethical principles like confidentiality were upheld.

Findings

Based on qualitative interviews with Iranian adoptive mothers, adoption challenges were categorized into six main themes with 12 sub-themes (Table 2). Procedural challenges encompass an erosive process of prolonged bureaucracy, delays, and errands eroding motivation and trust, often leading to withdrawal after infertility struggles (e.g., frequent follow-ups; Participants 4, 11). Ambiguity arises from unclear child details (gender, health, background), with incomplete expert disclosures (e.g., genetic risks without explanation) heightening anxiety and incompatibility risks (Participant 2). Inappropriate familiarization slope involves abrupt child transfer in one session, lacking gradual bonding and exacerbating attachment issues (Participant 8). Selection challenges include inaccurate indicators like persistence evaluation, infertility/gender/age priorities, fostering inequity and prolonged waits (Participant 4). Selection lacks comprehensiveness due to absent field checks, superficial assessments, dishonesty opportunities, and ineffective counseling neglecting spousal harmony, risking family imbalance (Participants 2, 10). Ethical lapses feature judgmental interactions, negative adoption portrayals, and delays to test resolve, evoking humiliation (Participant 5). Educational challenges highlight pre-adoption inadequacies: superficial, non-targeted content disconnected from trauma needs, with weak guidance prompting self-sourcing (Participants 7, 5). Post-adoption education discontinues entirely, isolating families without mentoring or classes, forcing inadequate self-help and raising maladaptation risks (Participants 5, 10). Monitoring challenges involve absent post-adoption oversight: no psychological evaluations, checklist-only supervision, ignoring hidden abuses and amplifying issues; active protocols needed for prevention (Participant 8). General challenges feature untapped networking: no age-based groups, experience-sharing platforms, or peer connections, perpetuating isolation; mothers suggest specialist-led sessions (Participants 1, 6, 7). Inefficiency consequences include pre-adoption negative emotions—injustice from priorities, despair from delays, stress, and burnout causing dropouts or guilt (Participants 3, 9). Post-adoption tangible outcomes: divorce from unpreparedness, dissolution from unmonitored issues, parental/child psychological harm (depression, trauma), and social isolation disrupting lives (Participants 8, 10). These findings underscore systemic gaps in support, transparency, and continuity, threatening family stability.

Conclusion

This phenomenological study explored adoptive mothers’ experiences to enhance family evaluation and training processes, ultimately improving child adaptation. Adoption, as a complex legal institution with extensive emotional, social, and psychological dimensions, requires a supportive and structured framework to ensure parent and child welfare. Bureaucratic delays and regulatory ambiguities caused frustration, leading some parents to consider withdrawing their applications (Liang et al., 2024). Negative emotions often stemmed from unprofessional and unethical expert behavior, perceived as discouraging adoption and disregarding human dignity, aligning with Ghaffari et al. (1402). This creates a dual obligation for mothers, who, after enduring infertility treatments and societal pressures, face discouragement from experts, undermining their confidence and affecting future child relationships. Ethical principles, such as non-harm and confidentiality, are critical, yet some experts violated these by sharing private information or creating unnecessary fears about child health. Positive expert interactions fostered satisfaction and resilience, as Heshmati et al. (1403) emphasized, highlighting the importance of supportive environments for family resilience. Inadequate training and information forced mothers to seek external resources, such as personal study or online communities, indicating a gap in formal support systems (Hartinger-Saunders et al., 2019). Informal support networks, like peer groups, were vital for sharing experiences, reducing isolation, and fostering realistic expectations, as supported by McKay and Ross (2010) and Dans & Farmer (2014). The study underscores the need for comprehensive, tailored training programs, ethical and supportive evaluation processes, and ongoing post-adoption support to address psychological, emotional, and social challenges effectively. Improved coordination, transparent regulations, and professional counseling are essential to enhance family outcomes and ensure successful child integration, mitigating risks of adoption dissolution and psychological harm.

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

• Adoption
• Adoption Challenges
• Adoptive mothers
• Adoption Education
• Adoption Supervisio