The Mediating Role of Adoption Communication Openness between Family Functioning and the Adjustment of Adopted Adolescents: A Multi-Informant Approach

Family systems theories consider cohesion, flexibility, and communication as distinct but related key dimensions of family functioning. These dimensions are underexplored within adoptive families. We investigated the extent to which family cohesion, flexibility, and adoption communication openness relate to the adjustment of adoptees in adolescence. A self-report questionnaire was completed by 134 family triads, composed of internationally adopted adolescents and their parents, for a total of 402 participants. Adoptees and their parents shared similarities, but also differences in perceptions of cohesion, flexibility, and adoption communication openness, all playing specific roles within the family context. Structural equation model with family-level analyses showed that the association between cohesion and the adjustment of adoptees was mediated by adoption communication openness, whereas flexibility was not associated with either communication openness nor with the adjustment of adoptees. Results are discussed in terms of implications for adoption research and practice.