The moderating role of pre-adoptive reflective functioning in the association between early adversity and child difficulties after transnational adoption: a 4-year follow-up study

Early adversity is associated with an increased risk for psychopathology and behavioral difficulties among transnational adoptees. Pre-adoptive reflective functioning may be an important buffer in this relationship. However, no studies have investigated this in adoptive families. Using longitudinal data from the Leuven Adoption Study (N = 48 participating families), this study investigated whether anthropometric proxies of early adversity (assessed in terms of child age, body mass index (BMI), weight for age, and length for age, based on parental reports of child weight and height at placement) predicted child difficulties assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist 4 years after child placement. The study also investigated the potential moderating role of adoptive parents' pre-adoptive reflective functioning, as assessed by the Reflective Functioning Scale scored on the Adoption Expectations Interview. All associations were investigated controlling for the effects of child temperament, as measured by the short versions of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire or the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire. Results indicated that child age at placement and low BMI predicted socioemotional difficulties. Pre-adoptive reflective functioning among fathers, but not among mothers, buffered against the effect of early adversity on child socioemotional difficulties. Conversely, low paternal levels of reflective functioning were associated with greater effects of early adversity on socioemotional difficulties. This study identified fathers' capacity for reflective functioning as a buffer against socioemotional difficulties. Implications for future research and practice, in terms of effective early interventions, are discussed.