Affective relationships with caregivers, self-efficacy, and hope of adolescents in residential care

Abstract

The transition to residential care (RC) is often experienced with fear and distrust, which, associated with a feeling of punishment and abandonment, may result in pejorative attributions and self-depreciation. These feelings may reveal a greater difficulty for youth to invest in social relationships and be open to reorganizing affective bonds with alternative significant figures. Developing quality affective relationships with caregivers in residential care may work as a protective factor for the biopsychosocial development of youth. The present study aims to analyze the associations between affective relationships with caregivers and self-efficacy, and future expectations of youth in residential care, as well as to test the mediating effect of hope on the previous association. The sample included 249 youth living in residential care, aged between 12 and 18 years. The results show that the quality of affective relationships with caregivers is associated with youth self-efficacy and hopes. A partial positive mediation of hope is also found. The results are discussed considering attachment theory and its contribution to relational mechanisms to promote self-efficacy and expectations of the future of youth living in residential care. The contributions of this study to the implementation of intervention guidelines will also be discussed.