Family Support, Resilience, and Life Goals of Young People in Residential Care

Abstract

Establishing goals for young people in residential care (RC) is a gap in the literature, especially in terms of the relationship between family support and resilience. The literature suggests that RC is associated with the breakdown of family relationships, so the possibility of the family playing a positive role in establishing life goals for young people is reduced. However, family support in the context of organization and stability can be assumed to be a protective factor for the formulation of life goals and contribute to the resilient development of young people. This study aimed to analyze the role of family support in the process of setting goals for young people in RC, as well as to analyze the potential mediating role of resilience in the previous association. The sample included 124 young people aged between 12 and 23 years living in RC. The results point to a positive association between family support (autonomy) and the planning of life goals and verify the total mediating effect of resilience in this association. The results are discussed considering attachment theory and the role of the family in the adaptive development of young people. This study’s findings provide important indications for developing future interventions.