Représentations de la famille et de la filiation chez l'adolescent adopté et ses parents

Abstract

Epidemiologic studies indicate an over-representation of adopted adolescents in consultation centers and pedopsychiatric hospitals as well as in schooling structures or boarding schools for adolescents with problems. Would adopted adolescents have more risks to develop a psychopathology than adolescents who are not adopted? Why should adoption be considered as a predictive factor for a less good psychoaffective develo p ment? Are there some conditions that allow for an adoption to take place in optimal circumstances? As part of this workshop, we shall evoke the representations of adopted adolescents and their parents about adoption and their filiations. We shall emphasize the importance, for therapists, to work with these representations in order to support and even reinforce the feeling of being part of a family and if possible to help with the process of «mythical graft» developed by Robert Neuburger.