| Abstract | Adverse early life events such as neglect, abuse, and family disruptions can have long-term negative effects (Felitti & Anda, 2010). Specifically, adopted children are at a higher risk for developing emotional and behavioral challenges as result of early life trauma. Hope Connection Camp 2.0 is a therapeutic camp for adopted children and their families to help children overcome early life trauma through Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®). Participants in the 2022 session of Hope Connection Camp 2.0, included 10 families and 23 children, 10 of which were identified as the target child by the primary caregiver in each family. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of Hope Connection Camp 2.0 on improving adopted children?s trauma symptoms. By decreasing their trauma symptoms, adopted children will be able to form healthier bonds with their caregiver and promote healthier life outcomes. The current study utilizes the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Young Children (TSCYC) to examine pre-post changes in the target children?s trauma symptoms. Our data analysis demonstrated a positive difference in adopted children?s anxiety, depression, dissociation, sexual concerns, and posttraumatic stress at the conclusion of camp. Based on this, our research indicates that adopted children?s trauma symptoms were alleviated and caregivers successfully implemented TBRI after Hope Connection Camp 2.0. |
