Social support is a key variable in adoptive family functioning, however, few have addressed this in reference to gay and lesbian adoptive families. Comparison of responses between gay and lesbian adoptees (n = 47) with heterosexual adoptees (n = 25) on a modified version of the Family Support Scale did not indicate differences in overall levels of family support. Differences did exist between the levels of social support in individual categories with heterosexuals relying on my relatives and my own children and gay and lesbians relying on partners and day care centers. Results supported the hypothesis that heterosexual adoptive parents relied more on family, but did not support the hypothesis that gay and lesbian adoptive parents relied more on friends.
Dysfunctional family functioning in high socioeconomic status families as a risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders in adoptees: the Finnish Adoptive Family Study of Schizophrenia