Research carried out at the Center for Psychological Research and Social Intervention (CIS-Iscte) explored the factors that protect the psychological health of adolescents in residential care. The data obtained can contribute to improving intervention strategies in this context, informing practice and policies regarding residential care.
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The goal of this study was to “identify the perspectives of adolescents in residential care on the concept of resilience and on protective factors for psychological health,” explains researcher Micaela Pinheiro, a doctoral student in Psychology at Iscte-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa. According to the researcher, young people in residential care often face adversities that can affect their mental and emotional health, such as social stigma, disruptive family relationships or neglect, as well as trauma and abuse. Despite this, some young people present psychological health outcomes. Therefore, it was important to understand, adds the researcher, “what factors contribute to the psychological well-being of these adolescents?”
To answer this question, the research team, which includes CIS-Iscte researchers Eunice Magalhães and Joana Baptista, interviewed 19 young people from three Portuguese generalist residential care settings. According to the data obtained, most adolescents were unaware of the concept of resilience and those who did had difficulty defining it. By analyzing the content of the interviews, it was also possible to identify several factors that these adolescents considered important for their resilience.
“Social support, from peers and staff in residential care, was one of the factors most mentioned by the adolescents interviewed,” says Eunice Magalhães. “Most of the adolescents also stressed the importance of emotional support” she adds. Still in the context of the residential care, financial support as a promoter of autonomy, the possibility for family involvement and a sense of stability were also identified as important. In addition, factors outside the residential care setting were identified, such as participation in extracurricular activities, which seem to foster feelings of empowerment and security and, once again, social support, in this case through family involvement; but also, individual factors related to the adolescents themselves, such as coping strategies, self-regulation and being optimistic. However, the research team warns of the limitations of the study, which was carried out based on a convenience sample in a single city and therefore does not allow generalization to the diversity of contexts nationwide.
Researcher Joana Baptista talks about the potential impact of this research: “These data highlight the importance of family involvement and individualized care, which can guide interventions in these contexts and ultimately contribute to greater psychological well-being in these young people.” In the article, the research team outlines four clear intervention priorities for promoting resilience in these adolescents:
Ensuring quality family contact to support adolescents' resilience and facilitate successful reunification processes;
Improving the quality of the relationship between adolescents and caregivers in residential care, ensuring adequate training to provide emotional, instrumental and financial support;
Consider the adolescents’ social ecology, for instance, involving the school community and its resources (e.g., teachers).
Adolescents’ individual characteristics such as self-regulation and coping strategies, should be considered and foster in context of residential care.
“With these recommendations, we hope to be able to inform not only direct practice in residential care settings, but also the policies of the care system itself,” concludes the researcher, Micaela Pinheiro. This study was carried out as part of her PhD project, funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (Ref. 2021.06556.BD).