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

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.