Effects of Institutionalisation

Question 1

What is institutionalisation?

Answer 1

• Effects of living in institutional setting e.g. hospital, orphanage.
• Children live there for long, continuous periods of time.
• Often very little emotional care provided.

Question 2

What are some effects of institutionalisation?

Answer 2

1. Physical underdevelopment
2. Intellectual under functioning/low IQ
3. Disinhibited attachment (equally friendly to strangers & people they know well)
4. Poor parenting
5. Emotional functioning - affectionless psychopathy
6. Lack of internal working model

Question 3

Describe Rutter’s Romanian Orphan Study (2011)

Answer 3

• Followed165 Romanian orphans adopted in Britain to test to what extent good care could make up for poor early experiences in institutions.
• Physical, cognitive and emotional development assessed at ages 4, 6, 11 and 15 years.
• Followed control group of 52 adopted British children.

Question 4

What were the findings of the Romanian Orphan study?

Answer 4

• When first arrived in UK half showed signs of intellectual disability disorder (mental retardation) & majority severely malnourished.
• At age 11, recovery rates related to age adopted (later=worse IQ).
• Adopted after 6 months - disinhibited attachment (clingy, indiscriminate affection to strangers).

Question 5

What were the conclusions of the Romanian Orphan study?

Answer 5

Failure to form attachments in 6 months has long lasting effects.

Question 6

Briefly describe The Bucharest Early Intervention Project (Zeanah 2005)

Answer 6

• Compared institutionalised children to control group using Strange Situation.
• 19% of institutionalised securely attached.
• 74% of control group securely attached.