Relationships and psychological adjustment: a gender lens on adolescents in residential care

According to the most recent available data, in Portugal 6832 children and adolescents live in residential care, equally distributed by gender. Transition to residential care can be considered a risk factor for the psychological adjustment of adolescents. However, little attention has been paid to how boys and girls experience residential care and the relationships with caregivers. The present study aims to analyze the predictive effect of quality of the relationship with caregivers, institutionalization time, adolescents age and 1st institutionalization age on psychological adjustment of boys and girls in residential care. The sample consisted of 250 adolescents (aged 12 to 18; 55,4% girls) living in residential care facilities in Portugal (Porto district). Data collected included youth self-report questionnaires. Invariance measurement were guaranteed in a first step. A multigroup comparison showed differences in the model according to gender. Quality of the relationship with caregivers is negatively associated with antisocial behaviour in boys, but not girls. In addition, is a negative link between institutionalization time and boys' antisocial behaviour and institutionalization time and emotional suffering in girls. Findings point to the need of taking into account gender in residential care.