International adoption and mental health. To understand and prevent suicide among foreign-born adoptees

Time period:

1 January 2026 – 31 December 2029

Project leader:

Clara Iversen

Project member:

Mattias Strand, Tobias Hübinette

Funder:

Forte

Type of award:

Project grant

Total funding:

4,931,000 SEK

Research problem and specific questionsFor over 20 years, quantitative register studies have time and again concluded that Sweden´s foreign-born adoptees are a hard-hit group in terms of mental illness and social problems, and not least suicide attempts and accomplished suicides. Despite the fact that the over risk is almost fourfold in comparison with the average population and even higher than that when the adoptees are compared with groups such as their siblings who are biological children of the adoptive parents, people who have grown up with the same socio-economic background as well as immigrants, the Swedish healthcare system has so far failed to address this elevated overrepresentation.In 2003, a government inquiry highlighted the need to create a knowledge and competence center on adoption that would work closely with the healthcare system, and with reference to the greatly increased risk of suicide within the group, but the recommendation was not taken up by the government at the time. The Adoption Commission´s inquiry, which was appointed in 2021 to investigate the existence of irregularities within the Swedish international adoption business, is currently underway and its final report is to be submitted to the government in June 2025. Its directive also includes coming up with proposals for how the society, and especially the healthcare system, can address the high incidence of mental illness and suicidality among adoptees.To contribute to an improved suicide prevention support, this project aims to increase the knowledge about suicidality related to adoptees among relevant professional groups by examining how adoptees´ experiences of mental health and suicide relate to practices within healthcare and non-profit organisations. The project is the first of its kind which seeks to understand and counteract the elevated risk of suicide among adoptees.Data and methodIn order to be able to address the adoptees´ own experiences within a healthcare context, the project is based on three types of sources and analyses: 1) Text analysis of material such as autobiographies, documentaries, podcast episodes and interviews in the media where foreign-born adoptees share their stories and raise issues concerning mental health and suicide; 2) event analysis of healthcare investigations into suicide cases involving adoptees that have been reported to the Health and Social Care Inspectorate (IVO); and 3) conversation analysis of recordings of conversations within adoption competent therapy. All materials are drawn from 2000 onward and predominantly consist of contemporary sources.Societal relevance and utilisationWith over 60,000 international adoptions since the 1950s, Sweden is the country in the world that hosts the largest number of foreign-born adoptees per capita. A large number of people corresponding to at least 250,000 adoptive parents, siblings who are biological children of the adoptive parents, partners and children of adoptees are therefore directly affected by the project. Great importance will therefore be placed on continuously communicating the project´s results to the adoptees and their significant others, to disseminate the results to the professional groups that come into contact with adoptees via educational efforts, and to report them in the form of a Swedish-language report and articles in international scientific journals and anthologies. Plan for project realisation The project takes place over a three-year period and is carried out by three researchers who have previous experience with qualitative research on adoption and suicide. The project is carried out in the form of four work packages, of which the first three one have in common that they focus on data collection and analysis while the fourth is about developing and disseminating educational resources that take place via a Swedish-language report, lectures, information brochures and workshops.