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Perceived Social Support and Symptom Loads of Psychiatric Disorders among Adolescents in Residential Youth Care

Perceived Social Support and Symptom Loads of Psychiatric Disorders among Adolescents in... Adolescents in residential youth care (RYC) are at high risk for negative psychological and social development outcomes, as they have a high prevalence of mental health problems and perceive less social support than adolescents in the general population. Associations between perceived social support and mental health problems have been investigated, but no in-depth analyses have been published. Such knowledge is crucial to optimize vulnerable adolescents’ care while living in RYC. The present study, therefore, aims to investigate associations between the symptom load of four psychiatric disorders (the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment) and perceived social support (the Social Support Questionnaire) among 400 adolescents in Norwegian RYC facilities. The results reveal that a higher number of different types of support persons was associated with lower symptom loads for emotional disorders. In addition, girls reported lower emotional symptoms when perceiving support from their father, friends, and RYC staff, while boys reported more behavioral symptoms with father support and lower behavioral symptoms with staff support. Authors conclude that RYC staff and friends hold important roles in providing social support when parental support is absent. Authors recommend maintenance of social networks for adolescents in RYC and further development of staff members’ relational skills and competence. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Social Work Research Oxford University Press

Perceived Social Support and Symptom Loads of Psychiatric Disorders among Adolescents in Residential Youth Care

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References (60)

Publisher
Oxford University Press
Copyright
© 2022 National Association of Social Workers
ISSN
1070-5309
eISSN
1545-6838
DOI
10.1093/swr/svab031
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Adolescents in residential youth care (RYC) are at high risk for negative psychological and social development outcomes, as they have a high prevalence of mental health problems and perceive less social support than adolescents in the general population. Associations between perceived social support and mental health problems have been investigated, but no in-depth analyses have been published. Such knowledge is crucial to optimize vulnerable adolescents’ care while living in RYC. The present study, therefore, aims to investigate associations between the symptom load of four psychiatric disorders (the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment) and perceived social support (the Social Support Questionnaire) among 400 adolescents in Norwegian RYC facilities. The results reveal that a higher number of different types of support persons was associated with lower symptom loads for emotional disorders. In addition, girls reported lower emotional symptoms when perceiving support from their father, friends, and RYC staff, while boys reported more behavioral symptoms with father support and lower behavioral symptoms with staff support. Authors conclude that RYC staff and friends hold important roles in providing social support when parental support is absent. Authors recommend maintenance of social networks for adolescents in RYC and further development of staff members’ relational skills and competence.

Journal

Social Work ResearchOxford University Press

Published: Jan 6, 2022

Keywords: high-risk adolescents; mental health; residential youth care; social support

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