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

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.