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How Family Functioning Shapes Adolescent Adjustment: The Mediating Role of Interpersonal Competence

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Adolescence is a critical stage of emotional and social development, with family functioning playing a vital role in shaping adolescent adjustment. However, the mechanisms linking family functioning to adolescent adjustment, particularly the mediating role of interpersonal competence in China, remain underexplored. This study surveyed 7318 junior and senior high school students from multiple Chinese regions, assessing family cohesion, family adaptability, interpersonal competence (communication, regulation, perception), and adolescent adjustment. Regression and mediation analyses examined direct and indirect effects of family functioning on adjustment. Among junior high students, family cohesion indirectly influenced adjustment via communication (28.10%) and regulation (17.32%), while adaptability operated through communication (29.50%) and regulation (32.45%). Among senior high students, cohesion acted via communication (18.63%) and regulation (21.57%), whereas adaptability affected adjustment equally through both (31.29%). Findings reveal developmental stage differences in the relative importance of interpersonal competence dimensions, confirm the applicability of the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) framework in China, and provide evidence for stage-specific interventions to strengthen interpersonal skills and optimize family-school support systems for adolescent adjustment.

Source: Behavioral Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/bs15111441

Authors: Yuhan Jiang, Leping Huang, Yi Song, Jingxin Wang, Kuo Zhang

Institutions: Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin University of Commerce, Nankai University

Language: English

Topic: Psychosocial Factors Impacting Youth

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,654