Criteria of psychological suitability for parents in adoption process in Colombia and its validity through structural equations

Abstract

Objective: To establish a prediction model of the parents' capacity to establish safe links with minors, taking into account the criteria of parental suitability. Methodology: Participants: 40 men (average age 42 years, SD 4.76) and 40 women (average age 37.33 years, SD 4.79). Instruments: MCMI III and CUIDA. Results: The psychological characteristics that predict the ability of parents to establish safe links were the high tendency in the CUIDA scores (except in aggressiveness) and the low tendency in the MCMI-III scores. To consider the MCMI-III as an inclusion / exclusion classificatory instrument and observing the influence of said instrument together with all the dimensions of the CUIDA in the suitability assignment, the model showed a good fit (χ2 = 2.906, p = 0.574, χ2 / gl = 0.726, FMIN = 0.037, F0 = 0.000, PCLOSE = 0.662, RMSEA = 0.000, ECVI = 0.315, GFI = 0.985, AGFI = 0.945), and an explained variance of suitability of 70%. Conclusions: There is a scarce relation between the variables CUIDA and MCMI-III. The state of mental health can be considered one of the best indicators of classificatory character of inclusion / exclusion of suitability, and the variables of the CUIDA exercise an influence on the suitability so that they explain in a high degree the variance of it.