Though adoption in adolescence often happens without serious problems, there are nevertheless situations where the collusion between traumatic aspects linked to the child’s past and its reactivation in adolescence, and the vulnerability of the parents, prevent any affiliation or grafting. The author has called these situations of great individual and familial distress “survival states” in reference to the writings of J. Altounian.

Adolescence, 2016, 34, 4, 743-752.