Abstract
Individuals’ perceptions of their social images [i.e., meta-representations (MR)] and perceived stereotyping threat create involuntary stress responses that may affect important outcomes, such as self-esteem, academic achievement, and mental health. This study aimed to (1) analyze the indirect associations between residential care youth’s MR and their psychological adjustment (i.e., externalizing and internalizing problems) through their self-representations (SR) and (2) test the moderating role of youth’s age and residential unit size in those associations. A sample of 926 youth aged between 12 and 25years old filled out self-report questionnaires regarding their representations about how people in general perceive them (i.e., MR) and their SR. Residential care professionals filled in the socio-demographic questionnaires and the Child Behavior Checklist. Data were analyzed through multiple mediation models and moderated mediation models. Results showed that (1) youth’s behavioral MR were indirectly associated with higher internalizing and externalizing behavior through higher levels of behavioral SR and (2) youth’s emotional MR were associated with higher internalizing problems through higher emotional SR, but also with lower internalizing problems through lower levels of behavioral SR. These results emphasize the importance of stimulating positive SR, by showing that they can be a protective factor for youth in residential care.
Highlights
Studies have consistently identified that youth in residential care have more mental health problems and psychopathology than the general population
Aiming to expand existing knowledge on the risk factors for mental health problems in youth in residential care, this study intends to explore the relationship between the perceptions that youth in residential care have of their social images (MR) and their mental health
As for the moderators, age was positively related to competence SR and negatively related to externalizing problems; youth/ care worker ratio was positively related to the resilience dimension of youth’s MR and negatively related to internalizing problems; and number of youths living in the residential care unit was negatively related to emotional SR and internalizing problems
Summary
Studies have consistently identified that youth in residential care have more mental health problems and psychopathology than the general population. Even though only a relatively small proportion of this population presents clinically evaluated and diagnosed behavioral and mental health problems in Portugal (ISS.IP, 2020), children and youth in care are, Youth in Residential Care a high-risk population in terms of their mental health, namely, externalizing and internalizing problems (e.g., Gearing et al, 2014; González-García et al, 2017; Magalhães and Calheiros, 2017; Campos et al, 2019) They present a relatively high prevalence of conduct disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder (Heflinger et al, 2000; TarrenSweeney and Vetere, 2013; Rodríguez et al, 2015; Jozefiak et al, 2016). Regardless of gender differences, the heightened vulnerability of these youth for adjustment problems may be partially explained by pre-care (e.g., abuse and neglect; Cicchetti and Lynch, 1993; Hukkanen et al, 1999; Taussig, 2002; Richardson and Lelliott, 2003; Baams et al, 2013; Lehmann et al, 2013) and during-care experiences (e.g., placements and repeated breakdowns and staff turnover; Rutter, 2000; Attar-Schwartz, 2009; Lehmann et al, 2013)
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