Seven Institutionalized Children and Their Adaptation in Late Adulthood: The Children of Duplessis (Les Enfants de Duplessis)/Commentary on "Seven Institutionalized Children and Their Adaptation in Late Adulthood: The Children of Duplessis": Surviving Unspeakable Trauma: Numbing the Inner Life/Commentary on "Seven Institutionalized Children and their Adaptation in Late Adulthood: The Children of Duplessis": Maltreatment, Attachment, and Resilience in the Orphans of Duplessis/Commentary on "Seven

War, societal and familial upheaval, disease, and natural disasters have resulted in orphaned children throughout time. One societal response to providing care for orphans has been institutionalization or the orphanage. We studied a sample of adults, known as les enfants de Duplessis or Duplessis�...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychiatry (Washington, D.C.) D.C.), 2006-12, Vol.69 (4), p.283
Main Authors: Perry, J Christopher, Sigal, John J, Boucher, Sophie, Paré, Nikolas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
Adults
Behavior
Catholic churches
Child development
Children & youth
Orphans
Psychology
Religion
War
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:War, societal and familial upheaval, disease, and natural disasters have resulted in orphaned children throughout time. One societal response to providing care for orphans has been institutionalization or the orphanage. We studied a sample of adults, known as les enfants de Duplessis or Duplessis's children, who were raised in Quebec institutions from birth onward and followed up in late adulthood. Systematic study indicated a high prevalence of adverse outcomes and found high levels of gross psychological trauma and adversity which, moderated by the childhood strengths of the individuals, had adverse effects on adult outcome (Sigal, Perry, Rossignol, & Ouimet, 2003; Perry, Sigal, Boucher, Paré, & Ouimet, 2005a; Perry, Sigal, Boucher, Paré, Ouimet, Norman, & Henry, 2005b). This report describes the experiences of seven individuals in the institutions and their subsequent life history and current functioning. The individual cases reflect a wide range of childhood strengths and experiences of trauma and other adversity in relationship to adult caretakers. While the group overall appears to have had seriously diminished functioning in late adulthood, several individuals had positive outcomes. We hope that by highlighting the potentially adverse effects of institutional rearing on subsequent development into late adulthood, these stories may inform those concerned with the care of orphans. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]
ISSN:0033-2747
1943-281X