Relation parent–enfant, relation à la culture d’origine et bien-être psychologique à l’adolescence d’enfants adoptés à l’étranger

Abstract

Like any teenager, international adoptees must build their identity, a process that can be quite complex for those belonging to two families and two cultures. According to several studies, ethnic identity is associated with better psychological adjustment among internationally adopted teenagers, whereas other studies found no relationship. The link between identification to their adoptive culture and international adoptees’ psychological well-being is also unclear. Parents’ attitude towards their child origin is however crucial for his/her well-being. Adoptive parents must tolerate their child's curiosity about his/her origin, maintain a good communication about the adoption, and recognize their differences. These findings suggest that parent-child relationship could have an impact on the association between international adoptees’ relation with their birth and adoptive cultures and psychological adjustment. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of parent-child relationship on the association between proximity to birth culture and to adoptive culture, ethnic identity, and psychological adjustment among international adoptees during adolescence. The sample consisted of 76 adolescents (M=15 years) adopted before 18 months of age from China, other East Asian countries, Russia, Haiti, and Bolivia. Internalizing and externalizing symptoms were assessed using the Dominic Interactive for Adolescents, a computerized self-report questionnaire, and the Child Behavior Checklist completed by the mothers. Adolescents also completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment to assess the quality of their relationship with their parents (trust, communication, and alienation), the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (exploration, and belonging/commitment), and a home-made questionnaire assessing proximity to birth culture and to adoptive culture. Results show that although a large proportion of our sample reported being very close to their adoptive culture, no correlation was found with internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Proximity to birth culture was associated with higher externalizing scores when assessed by mothers but this relationship was completely mediated by children's perception of their parents’ trust towards them. In contrast, belonging/commitment to birth culture was associated with lower externalizing scores according to self-reports and this relationship was partially mediated by parent-child communication. These findings suggest that the importance and meaning attached to childbirth culture and origins may sometimes differ for adoptive parents and their teenager and be a source of conflict within the family. In this context, promoting trust and good communication between international adoptees and their parents is crucial to prevent the emergence and aggravation of behaviour problems.