Profiles of Adoptee Adjustment in Young Adulthood

Abstract

The developmental stage of young adulthood, the period from one’s late 20s through 30s, has grown in attention and research focus among general populations. However, little is known about the adjustment of adopted individuals during this phase. The present study sought to expand our understanding of the various patterns of adoptee adjustment in young adulthood. Latent profile analysis was used to identify profiles across eight domains of functioning spanning physical and mental health to relationships, achievement, and engagement. Three profiles were identified, demonstrating varying levels of adult functioning. Adoption-related and non-adoption-related variables were explored using a series of multinomial logistic regressions to determine which factors differentiated between profiles. It appears that, although some adoption-related variables remain significant in young adulthood, non-adoption-related variables are more strongly linked to adoptee adjustment at this developmental stage. Implications and future directions for clinical care and research are discussed.

Keywords:

• Young adulthood
• adoption
• development
• latent profile analysis

Acknowledgement

Special thanks to the participants in this study and the Rudd Adoption Research Lab for their consultation.

Additional information

Funding

Funding for the Minnesota/Texas Adoption Research Project came from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01-HD-028296, R01-HD-049859), National Science Foundation (BCS-0443590), the William T. Grant Foundation (7146), and the Rudd Family Foundation Chair in Psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.