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Projeto de investigação
FUNCIONAMENTO PSICOSSOCIAL E ACADÉMICO DE ADOLESCENTES EM ACOLHIMENTO INSTITUCIONAL: O PAPEL MEDIADOR E MODERADOR DAS VARIÁVEIS SOCIOCOGNITIVAS, RELACIONAIS E CONTEXTUAIS
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Youth's rights and mental health: The role of supportive relations in care
Publication . Magalhães, Eunice; Calheros, M. M.; Costa, Patrício; Ferreira, Sofia
A rights-based approach calls for studies to explore further the extent to which rights’
fulfillment in residential care affects young people’s mental health. A focus on protective
factors, such as supportive relations, can inform policies and practices in residential care
which is critical for youths’ empowerment and adaptive outcomes. However, existing
studies on social support are mainly descriptive and qualitative in nature or focus on the
effect of support in mental health. This study builds upon and enhances existing
knowledge by exploring the moderating role of social support from educators in residential care and the association between perceived rights and psychological difficulties. A
sample of 366 adolescents (53% boys) in residential care (Mage ¼ 14.82; SD ¼ 1.81) were
included in this study and completed self-reported measures on perceived rights, support in residential care and psychological difficulties. Social support moderated the
relationship between the perception of rights regarding respectful system practices,
autonomy and contact with family, as well as psychological difficulties. When greater
social support was perceived by the adolescents, higher perceptions of respectful system
practices and lower perceptions of autonomy and contact with family were associated
with lower levels of psychological difficulties. Results provide evidence for the positive
role of rights’ fulfillment in psychological functioning in residential care, as well as the
protective role of supportive educators.
Why place matters in residential care: the mediating role of place attachment in the relation between adolescents rights and psychological well-being
Publication . Magalhães, Eunice; Calheros, M. M.
Little evidence exists on the relationship between rights’ perceptions and well-being
outcomes during the adolescence, and particularly in care, as well as on the mediating
role of place attachment. Young people in residential care are psychologically and
socially vulnerable, showing greater difficulties than their peers do in the family.
Youth’s rights fulfilment in residential care may positively affect their psychological
functioning together with positive attachments to this place. A sample of 365 adolescents in residential care settings (M = 14.71, SD = 1.81) completed a set of self-reported
measures, specifically, the Rights perceptions scale, the Place attachment scale and
Scales of psychological well-being. Results revealed significant mediating effects of
place attachment (Global scale and subscales of Friends Bonding and Place Dependence) on the relationship between Participation and Protection rights in residential care
and Psychological well-being (Positive Relations with others, Personal Growth and
Self-Acceptance). The positive role of rights fulfilment in residential care, specifically
participation opportunities, as well as the role of youth’s attachment to the care setting
are discussed based on previous evidence and theoretical assumptions. A set of
practical implications is described.
‘I always say what I think’: a rights-based approach of young people¿s psychosocial functioning in residential care
Publication . Magalhães, Eunice; Calheiros, M M; Antunes, Carla
Adolescents in residential care tend to be socially devalued and are psychosocially vulnerable. For that reason, a rights-based approach must be adopted to
empower them and promote their participation. Focus group discussions were developed with 29 adolescents aiming to explore their rights perceptions during the placement in residential care and how it could be related to their well-being. Results from the
grounded model showed that youth’s perceptions on the non-fulfilment of their rights
are related to perceived emotional and behavioral difficulties. Their psychological
functioning seems to be particularly affected when a set of dimensions are perceived
as not fulfilled, namely, education, private life, non-discrimination, perceived social
image and respect for themselves and their families by the protection system. Also, a
set of individual, relational and socio-cognitive variables were identified as
conditions and processes that provide additional explanatory potential to this
model. These results underpin the relevance of adopting a rights-based approach
to understand psychosocial functioning in residential care, strengthening the
importance of social influences to human development. Implications for practice
are also explored in the present work.
Child Maltreatment Severity Questionnaire (MSQ) for Professionals: Development, Validity, and Reliability Evidence
Publication . Calheros, M. M.; Silva, Carla; Magalhães, Eunice
This article presents the development and validation of the child Maltreatment Severity Questionnaire (MSQ), aiming to contribute to increase the quality and efficiency of evaluation processes in the Child Protection System (CPS). To obtain a valid and reliable instrument, a set of studies was developed: Study 1—Based on two previous studies, the questionnaire was developed and the severity level of the items within maltreatment subtypes was assigned by 93 professionals from the welfare and CPS system. Consensus about the severity levels was assessed and described in terms of within-item reliability rankings; Study 2—The MSQ was filled out for 253 children and adolescents referred to the CPS. To ensure that the items within different subtypes of maltreatment were homogenous and had internal consistency, a reliability analysis was performed; Study 3—The MSQ was filled out for 1,000 children and adolescents referred to the CPS. This study involved testing validity evidence through an exploratory and a confirmatory factor analysis. We also analyzed the internal consistency, sensibility (i.e., sex and age differences) and concurrent validity of the MSQ. Findings support the adequacy and reliability of the MSQ to be used by CPS professionals in evaluating child maltreatment.
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Entidade financiadora
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Programa de financiamento
OE
Número da atribuição
SFRH/BD/77554/2011