Affective relationships with caregivers, self-efficacy and future expectations on adolescents in residential care

Attachment theory claims that the establishment of affective bonds with significant figures is a fundamental process in human development across all the life cycle (Bowlby, 1979). The quality of the relationship established between adolescents and their caregivers in residential care may work as a protective factor for internal reorganization and the development of more positive representations about themselves and others a (Costa, Mota & Matos, 2019). However, little is known about how these relationships are linked to how these adolescents perceive the future and their sense of efficacy over the world. The present study aims to analyze the effect of the quality of relationships with caregivers, on self-efficacy and future expectations of young people in residential care, in a sample of 250 adolescents (aged 12 to 18) living in residential care settings in Portugal (Porto district). Data was collected through self-report measures and additional data was collected with the directors of the institutions. Sociodemographic data such as, sex, age, time living in residential care and satisfaction with the institution, will be entered as control variables. The statistical analysis will be performed with structural equation modeling. The results will be discussed considering the attachment theory framework and their contribution on relational mechanisms to enhance self-efficacy and expectations of the future of young people living in residential care. The contributions of this studyto residential care policies in Portugal will be discussed.
Poster presented at 17th EARA conference - Adolescence in a rapidly changing world. This work was funded by Portuguese National funds FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P (PTDC/PSI-ESP/28653/2017).