Childhood and adolescence’s predictors of parenting stress in adoptive mothers of early and late placed children

Abstract

Parenting stress, that is the adverse psychological experience that arises from the demands associated with the parenting role, has been identified as a predictor of more adverse outcomes in the child-parent relationship, as well as in the child’s development. Considering the additional strains and challenges faced by adoptive parents, they are expected to be experiencing higher levels of parenting stress. However, literature within this field remains scarce, and even less is known about parents of adoptees in adolescence. The present longitudinal study aims to fill this gap by investigating parenting stress and its predictors in mothers of adoptees from childhood to adolescence. 51 mothers of adolescent adoptees, who were either early- or late-placed, were included in the study. Parenting stress was measured through the Parenting Stress Index in childhood and the Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents in adolescence. Findings revealed that adoptive parents’ parenting stress levels were comparable and sometimes lower to normative data. However, in adolescence, adoptive mothers were, in general, exhibiting higher levels of parenting stress. Distinct predictors of parenting stress were also identified. These findings provide important insight into adoption research and emphasize the need for further support for adopted adolescents and their parents.