Mapping the Journey to Success: Key Characteristics of Male Youths Benefiting the Most from Therapeutic Residential Care After One Year of Intervention

Abstract

ABSTRACT Therapeutic residential care (TRC) provides care for young people in the welfare system that display behaviors that are unsafe to themselves or others. The intervention provided in TRC is challenging and not always effective. The goal of this exploratory study is to compare the profiles and progress of young people treated in TRC-CREI (TRC-Intensive Educational Residential Care) in Catalonia (Spain), for at least a year, aiming to identify factors explaining intervention effectiveness. Key informants provided retrospective information from 78 treated cases on the young people’s improvements in relation to behavioral problems identified on entry. Significant differences in intervention outcomes were found among profiles. Young people with better relational skills and who adapted more quickly to the program showed a greater tendency to have positive outcomes. The poorest prognosis was for young people who ran away and had a criminal record. Logistic regression indicated that runaway behaviors predict failed outcomes, while having friends among TRC-CREI peers predicts young people’s successful trajectories. The TRC-CREI program seems to be effective for cases with moderate problems, but not for those with more serious difficulties. Specific socio-emotional education programs are needed to repair affective bonds with educators, peers, and the broader social network.