
International Adoption
A Developmental Pathway
Elena L. Grigorenko(Author)
Cambridge University Press
Will be published approx. on 31. July 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
300 pages
978-1-107-53570-1 (ISBN)
Description
As international adoption peaked at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, research on its outcomes has paralleled that peak in scope and depth. This book provides a comprehensive, integrative analysis of international adoption within its historical, political, and legal frameworks, situating the practice in the context of global child welfare and the search for permanent families. By synthesizing decades of multidisciplinary research, the chapters examine developmental trajectories of internationally adopted individuals from childhood through to adulthood, taking into account physical health, attachment, language, cognition, academic achievement, identity, and mental health. Drawing on diverse methodologies and international samples, the text advances our understanding of resilience, adaptation, and identity in cross-cultural contexts. It also identifies critical gaps and articulates directions for future inquiry, refining developmental theory and informing policy and practice. This essential resource supports researchers, professionals, and graduate students engaged in adoption, child development, and social care.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
ISBN-13
978-1-107-53570-1 (9781107535701)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
approx. 07/2026
Cambridge University Press
€148.50
Not yet published
Person
Elena L. Grigorenko is the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Houston, and an Adjunct Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and Yale University. Author of over 600 scholarly works, she has earned numerous awards for her research focused on promoting the well-being of children: in all categories, of all types, and in all contexts.
Content
Introduction; 1. A contemporary overview of international adoption; 2. Broad strokes in international adoption research; 3. Physical health of international adoptees; 4. Attachment and social-emotional development in international adoptees; 5. Language development of international adoptees; 6. Cognitive development in international adoptees; 7. Academic achievement in international adoptees; 8. Identity formation in international adoptees; 9. Mental health and international adoption; 10. An emerging picture of the effects of international adoption; Conclusion; References.