{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,24]],"date-time":"2026-01-24T18:44:35Z","timestamp":1769280275349,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"18","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,8]],"date-time":"2022-09-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1662595200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["CEECIND\/02463\/2017"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CEECIND\/02463\/2017"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Effective psychological parenting interventions delivered to adoptive parents may prevent serious adjustment difficulties and promote a healthy functioning; however, less is known about adoptive parents\u2019 specific parental difficulties and help-seeking behaviors and perceptions, the understanding of which is deemed necessary to design well-informed interventions. This study aimed to describe parental difficulties, help-seeking behaviors, satisfaction with, and perceived barriers to seek, professional help, and acceptability of psychological parenting interventions among Portuguese adoptive parents. Comparisons with biological parents (Study 1) and between adoptive parents that requested adoption-specialized and non-specialized support (i.e., adoption-specialized vs. non-specialized help-seekers) (Study 2) were explored. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted. Participants were 471 adoptive and 552 biological parents of children aged under 18 years who were recruited through schools, adoption agencies, and social networks. They completed measures assessing parental difficulties, help-seeking behaviors, satisfaction with, and perceived barriers to seek, professional help, and acceptability of psychological parenting interventions. Comparison tests between the study groups, Pearson\u2019s correlations, analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) and multivariate logistic regressions (MLR) were performed. Parents\u2019 well-being and normative parenting challenges were the most frequent difficulties in both groups, but only associated with adoptive parents\u2019 help-seeking. Although difficulties related to a child\u2019s problems\/parent\u2013child relationship were more frequent among adoptive parents, adoption-related difficulties were rarely reported. Adoptive parents sought professional help more frequently, regardless of parental difficulties. Knowledge-related barriers to seeking help were the most frequent among adoptive parents. Adoption non-specialized help was less satisfactory. Acceptability of psychological parenting interventions was high, but dependent on parental difficulties. Implications for post-adoption services\u2019 development are discussed.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph191811283","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,8]],"date-time":"2022-09-08T07:05:56Z","timestamp":1662620756000},"page":"11283","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Post-Adoption Help-Seeking in Portugal: A Comprehensive Study on Parental Difficulties and Help-Seeking Behaviors and Perceptions"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7326-7115","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stephanie","family":"Alves","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"ProChild CoLAB against Child Poverty and Social Exclusion, Campus de Azur\u00e9m, Edif\u00edcio 1, 4804-533 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6792-8255","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ana Luz","family":"Chor\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Coimbra, Rua do Col\u00e9gio Novo, 3000-115 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9146-9434","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"B\u00e1rbara","family":"Caetano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cognitive Behavioral Clinical Psychology Unit (UpC3), Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Coimbra, Rua do Col\u00e9gio Novo, 3000-115 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6584-4691","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Margarida Rangel","family":"Henriques","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ProChild CoLAB against Child Poverty and Social Exclusion, Campus de Azur\u00e9m, Edif\u00edcio 1, 4804-533 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"Center of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sciences of Education of the University of Porto, University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Oporto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Isabel","family":"Pastor","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ProChild CoLAB against Child Poverty and Social Exclusion, Campus de Azur\u00e9m, Edif\u00edcio 1, 4804-533 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"},{"name":"Santa Casa da Miseric\u00f3rdia de Lisboa, Largo Trindade Coelho, 1200-470 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4674-0245","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raquel","family":"Pires","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Coimbra, Rua do Col\u00e9gio Novo, 3000-115 Coimbra, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Miller, T.W. 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Work"}],"container-title":["International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/19\/18\/11283\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T00:27:16Z","timestamp":1760142436000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1660-4601\/19\/18\/11283"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,8]]},"references-count":47,"journal-issue":{"issue":"18","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,9]]}},"alternative-id":["ijerph191811283"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ijerph191811283","relation":{},"ISSN":["1660-4601"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1660-4601","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,8]]}}}