Psychological Distress Symptoms and Resilience Assets in Adolescents in Residential Care

Abstract

Most studies with institutionalised children and adolescents focus on evaluating the impact of negative life events on emotional development. However, few have investigated the relationship between resilience assets and the teenagers’ psychopathological problems. The purpose of the present study was to investigate differences in psychological distress symptoms and in resilience assets in institutionalised and non-institutionalised adolescents. A total of 266 adolescents aged between 12 and 19 years old took part in the study (60.5% female): 125 lived in residential care and 144 resided with their families. Results found a significant and inverse relation between psychopathology and the perception of individual resilience assets, specifically with self-efficacy and self-awareness in the community sample, and with empathy in the institutionalised sample. Overall, and regardless of the age group, adolescents in residential care tend to perceive themselves as significantly less resilient in perceived self-efficacy and empathy, and they report fewer goals and aspirations for the future. The importance of promoting mental health and resilience assets in adolescents, particularly in those in residential care, is discussed. This can be achieved through early interventions that may prevent emotional suffering and deviant life paths, with transgenerational repercussions.

Vulnerability to Suicide Ideation: Comparative Study between Adolescents with and without Psychosocial Risk

“…In the present study, the adolescents with psychosocial risk showed higher scores regarding the presence of negative life events, compared to the general group. These data are congruent with the literature, in which youth at psychosocial risk experience many more negative life events than youth not at risk, with more frequency and greater impact [26,41], as well as in the setting of negative life events associated with psychological and sexual abuse, and related to separations and losses, which are experienced more by youth in an adverse social environment than by youth free of psychosocial risk [38,42].…”

“…The importance of this differentiation between the groups was due to previous studies indicating that the existence of greater psychosocial vulnerability may lead to greater suicidal ideation [38]. In this line of reasoning, young people from families at psychosocial risk are more likely to experience negative events in their environment and in the presence of psychological risk factors, which act as facilitators of suicidal ideation [21,26].…”

“…Furthermore, emphasis has been placed on the study of risk factors for suicidal ideation/suicide, to the detriment of studying protective factors [18]. There are also comparative studies that have investigated the mental health of institutionalized versus non-institutionalized adolescents, but they have not assessed the risk of suicide [26]. With this study, we aim to fill the gaps identified and contribute to the advancement of knowledge so that it can be translated into suicide prevention strategies.…”

Parental Involvement and Stress in Children’s Quality of Life: A Longitudinal Study with Portuguese Parents during the COVID-19 Pandemic Period

“…QoL cannot be attributed only to the absence of problems, but must incorporate degrees of positive experience, such as happiness, satisfaction, and meaning to reflect the full range of well-being [95], and PI is an unavoidable indicator of a child's well-being. Therefore, parents' involvement in their children's daily life routines and experiences can constitute a very protective factor for the children's QoL and well-being [93] and a preventive mechanism against ill-being [96,97].…”

Mental Health and Well-Being in Children

“…In a very specific topic, children followed by child protective services, the contributions of Lemos et al [ 12 ], Pires et al [ 13 ], Salomão et al [ 14 ], and Stuart et al [ 15 ] present different orientations on how to intervene with these families in children at risk situations.…”