title: Adoptive gay father families: parent-child relationships and children's psychological adjustment.
abstract: Findings are presented on a U.K. study of 41 gay father families, 40 lesbian mother families, and 49 heterosexual parent families with an adopted child aged 3-9 years. Standardized interview and observational and questionnaire measures of parental well-being, quality of parent-child relationships, child adjustment, and child sex-typed behavior were administered to parents, children, and teachers. The findings indicated more positive parental well-being and parenting in gay father families compared to heterosexual parent families. Child externalizing problems were greater among children in heterosexual families. Family process variables, particularly parenting stress, rather than family type were found to be predictive of child externalizing problems. The findings contribute to theoretical understanding of the role of parental gender and parental sexual orientation in child development.
authors.affiliation: University of Cambridge.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Golombok
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mellish
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jennings
authors.forename: Polly
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tasker
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Lamb
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000300:Adoption / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D002657:Child Development; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010332:Paternal Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology
references.citation: Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2010 Sep;13(3):254-74
references.pmid: 20589428
references.citation: J Couns Psychol. 2011 Jan;58(1):139-50
references.pmid: 21171740
references.citation: Perspect Psychol Sci. 2007 Dec;2(4):377-95
references.pmid: 26151974
references.citation: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1994 Nov;35(8):1483-94
references.pmid: 7868642
references.citation: Dev Psychol. 2003 Jan;39(1):20-33
references.pmid: 12518806
references.citation: Child Welfare. 2006 Mar-Apr;85(2):317-40
references.pmid: 16846118
references.citation: J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2001 Nov;40(11):1337-45
references.pmid: 11699809
references.citation: Psychol Bull. 2001 May;127(3):291-324
references.pmid: 11393298
references.citation: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1993 Jul;34(5):805-11
references.pmid: 8340446
references.citation: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2004 Sep;45(6):1171-9
references.pmid: 15257673
references.citation: Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2003 Sep;8(3):136-143
references.pmid: 32797579
references.citation: J Fam Psychol. 2011 Apr;25(2):230-9
references.pmid: 21401244
references.citation: Am Psychol. 2009 Nov;64(8):727-36
references.pmid: 19899878
references.citation: J Fam Psychol. 2011 Aug;25(4):591-600
references.pmid: 21688901
references.citation: Child Dev. 2008 Sep-Oct;79(5):1583-93
references.pmid: 18826544
references.citation: J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2010 Nov;38(8):1179-91
references.pmid: 20623175
references.citation: Sex Roles. 2012 Nov 1;67(9-10):503-515
references.pmid: 23420542
references.citation: Am Psychol. 2000 Feb;55(2):218-32
references.pmid: 10717969
references.citation: J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1997 Jul;38(5):581-6
references.pmid: 9255702
references.citation: Soc Work. 2001 Apr;46(2):147-57
references.pmid: 11329644
references.citation: J Fam Psychol. 2010 Jun;24(3):221-32
references.pmid: 20545395