Abstract
Quality of attachment relationships developed within an institutional environment may be a risk or protective factor for the creation of life aspirations and for emotion regulation abilities among adolescents in residential care contexts. The present study aims to analyze the predictive role of attachment on life aspirations for adolescents in a residential care context, as well as to test the mediating effect of emotion regulation difficulties in this association. The sample included 296 adolescents living in Residential Care facilities in Portugal, with ages raging between 12 and 18 (M = 15.30, SD = 1.76), being 71.6% female. Self-report measures included the Experiences in Close Relationships, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Aspiration Index, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Attachment figure negatively predicts the importance of life aspirations, while difficulties in emotional regulation mediate the association between attachment and life aspirations. Associations of length of institutionalization and age of entrance on residential care were tested and discussed. Practical implications were considered highlighting the importance of intervention with young people, the family, and caregivers in residential care.
Highlights
Residential care (RC) is a non-family-based group setting, that together with foster care is one of the most used forms of alternative care for at risk children (Li et al, 2017)
We assist in the last decade to a decreasing trend on the number of children and youth on RC settings in Portugal, currently, 86,3% of children and adolescents (6706) with non-naturalistic measures, are living in residential generalist care facilities (Morais et al, 2022; National Institute Social Security [ISS], 2021)
The present study aims to analyze the role of attachment in the life aspirations of adolescents in RC contexts
Summary
Residential care (RC) is a non-family-based group setting, that together with foster care is one of the most used forms of alternative care for at risk children (Li et al, 2017). Attachment theory attributes an important role to the ability of parental figures to provide a secure base, favoring the adaptive emotional development of the child and, later, of the adolescent (Bowlby, 1969). While it is found that a long period in residential care can have a negative effect on youth development (Dell'Aglio & Hutz, 2004), some studies stress this dimension as a protective factor (Costa et al, 2019; Ringle et al, 2010) since length of stay could promote increasing opportunities for building closer relationships (Baker et al, 2005; Fernandes & Oliveira-Monteiro, 2016). The development of ER abilities occurs within the relational context, starting with attachment relationships with primary caregivers (Franco et al, 2015; Hughes et al, 2005; Kim & Cicchetti, 2010)
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