IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v126y2021ics0190740921001237.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Professional carers’ attachment style and reflective functioning: Links with adolescent behavioral and emotional adaptation in residential care

Author

Listed:
  • Pascuzzo, Katherine
  • Cyr, Chantal
  • Joly, Marie-Pierre
  • Rollin, Mégan
  • Cyr-Desautels, Laurence

Abstract

While previous research has underscored the importance of the professional carer-adolescent relationship in residential care as a means for promoting youth adaptation, very little is known on the processes at work. Namely, can professional carers’ interest and curiosity in adolescents’ mental states mitigate the negative associations between professional carers’ insecure attachment and adolescents’ behavioral and emotional adaptation? This is an important question to examine given that insecure attachment among carers may constitute an important obstacle to developing positive relationships with adolescents in their care. Thirty-four dyads consisting of professional carers and adolescent boys living in juvenile residential care units took part in the current study. Carers completed the Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ) as well as an adapted version of the Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (PRFQ). Adolescents completed the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and Psychological Availability and Reliance on Adult (PARA) questionnaires as indicators of their socio-emotional adaptation. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that lower carer anxious attachment and greater carer reflective functioning (interest and curiosity in mental states) were associated with fewer youth internalizing problems. Furthermore, carers’ reflective functioning was found to moderate the association between carers’ anxious attachment and both youth internalizing and externalizing problems. Specifically, for carers low in reflective functioning, as their levels of anxious attachment increased, so did adolescents’ internalizing behavior problems. For carers high in reflective functioning, anxious attachment was not related to youth internalizing problems. A similar moderation effect was found for youth externalizing problems. For carers low in reflective functioning, as their levels of anxious attachment increased, so did adolescents’ externalizing behavior problems. For carers high in reflective functioning, anxious attachment was not related to youth externalizing problems. The role of carers’ reflective functioning, abilities that can be developed and enhanced despite one’s insecure attachment, within the context of residential care is discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Pascuzzo, Katherine & Cyr, Chantal & Joly, Marie-Pierre & Rollin, Mégan & Cyr-Desautels, Laurence, 2021. "Professional carers’ attachment style and reflective functioning: Links with adolescent behavioral and emotional adaptation in residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:126:y:2021:i:c:s0190740921001237
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106044
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740921001237
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106044?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James, Sigrid & Alemi, Qais & Zepeda, Veronica, 2013. "Effectiveness and implementation of evidence-based practices in residential care settings," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 642-656.
    2. Costa, Mónica & Tagliabue, Semira & Matos, Paula Mena & Mota, Catarina Pinheiro, 2020. "Stability and change in adolescents’ well-being: The role of relationships with caregivers in residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    3. Attar-Schwartz, Shalhevet, 2008. "Emotional, behavioral and social problems among Israeli children in residential care: A multi-level analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 30(2), pages 229-248, February.
    4. Melkman, Eran, 2015. "Risk and protective factors for problem behaviors among youth in residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 117-124.
    5. Cahill, Orla & Holt, Stephanie & Kirwan, Gloria, 2016. "Keyworking in residential child care: Lessons from research," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 216-223.
    6. Strijbosch, E.L.L. & Huijs, J.A.M. & Stams, G.J.J.M. & Wissink, I.B. & van der Helm, G.H.P. & de Swart, J.J.W. & van der Veen, Z., 2015. "The outcome of institutional youth care compared to non-institutional youth care for children of primary school age and early adolescence: A multi-level meta-analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 208-218.
    7. Martín, Eduardo & González-García, Carla & del Valle, Jorge F. & Bravo, Amaia, 2020. "Detection of behavioral and emotional disorders in residential child care: Using a multi-informant approach," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    8. Joan Llosada-Gistau & Ferran Casas & Carme Montserrat, 2020. "Factors Influencing the Subjective Well-Being of Adolescents in out-of-Home Care. A Mixed Method Study," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 15(3), pages 835-863, July.
    9. Pinchover, Shulamit & Attar-Schwartz, Shalhevet, 2014. "Institutional social climate and adjustment difficulties of adolescents in residential care: The mediating role of victimization by peers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 393-399.
    10. Munson, Michelle R. & McMillen, J. Curtis, 2009. "Natural mentoring and psychosocial outcomes among older youth transitioning from foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 104-111, January.
    11. Griffiths, Austin & Royse, David & Walker, Robert, 2018. "Stress among child protective service workers: Self-reported health consequences," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 46-53.
    12. Costa, Mónica & Melim, Beatriz & Tagliabue, Semira & Mota, Catarina Pinheiro & Matos, Paula Mena, 2020. "Predictors of the quality of the relationship with caregivers in residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Costa, Mónica & Melim, Beatriz & Tagliabue, Semira & Mota, Catarina Pinheiro & Matos, Paula Mena, 2020. "Predictors of the quality of the relationship with caregivers in residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    2. Maneiro, Lorena & Gómez-Fraguela, José Antonio & López-Romero, Laura & Cutrín, Olalla & Sobral, Jorge, 2019. "Risk profiles for antisocial behavior in adolescents placed in residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 278-286.
    3. Côté, Carole & Clément, Marie-Ève, 2022. "Let’s talk about love: Perceptions of children in residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    4. Hoffnung Assouline, Adena A. & Attar-Schwartz, Shalhevet, 2020. "Staff support and adolescent adjustment difficulties: The moderating role of length of stay in the residential care setting," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).
    5. Silva, Carla Sofia & Carvalho, Helena & Magalhães, Eunice & Attar-Schwartz, Shalhevet & Ornelas, Sandra & Calheiros, Maria Manuela, 2022. "Organizational social context and academic achievement of youth in residential care: The mediating role of youth-caregiver relationship quality," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    6. Strijbosch, E.L.L. & Huijs, J.A.M. & Stams, G.J.J.M. & Wissink, I.B. & van der Helm, G.H.P. & de Swart, J.J.W. & van der Veen, Z., 2015. "The outcome of institutional youth care compared to non-institutional youth care for children of primary school age and early adolescence: A multi-level meta-analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 208-218.
    7. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit & Tayri-Schwartz, Talia, 2021. "The role of natural mentoring and sense of belonging in enhancing resilience among youth in care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    8. Oriol, Xavier & Miranda, Rafael & Unanue, Jesus, 2020. "Bullying victimization at school and subjective well-being in early and late Peruvian adolescents in residential care: The contribution of satisfaction with microsystem domains," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    9. Griffiths, Austin & Royse, David & Murphy, April & Jones, Olivia & Culver, Kalee & Turner, James & Smajlovic, Alma, 2023. "Exploratory factor analysis and reliability of the Child Welfare Employee Feedback Scale: Further revision (CWEFS-R)," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    10. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Kothari, Brianne H. & Miller, Rebecca A., 2023. "Intervention development to improve foster youth mental health by targeting coping self-efficacy and help-seeking," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    11. Levrouw, Delphine & Devlieghere, Jochen & Vandevelde, Stijn & Roose, Rudi, 2020. "Developing a positive living climate in residential youth care: a qualitative study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    12. Klein, Shaked & Shoshana, Avihu, 2020. "“What for? I'll be 18 soon and getting out of here”: Future orientation among immigrant at-risk youth in Israel," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    13. Maria Manuela Calheiros & Sandra Ornelas & Eunice Magalhães & Margarida Vaz Garrido, 2022. "Profiles of Young Children Involved with Child Protection Services in Portugal," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(3), pages 933-958, June.
    14. Cassarino-Perez, Luciana & Crous, Gemma & Goemans, Anouk & Montserrat, Carme & Sarriera, Jorge Castellà, 2018. "From care to education and employment: A meta-analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 407-416.
    15. Wenjie Li & Linting Zhang & Chengcheng Li & Ningzhe Zhu & Jingjing Zhao & Feng Kong, 2022. "Pursuing Pleasure or Meaning: A Cross-Lagged Analysis of Happiness Motives and Well-being in Adolescents," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 3981-3999, December.
    16. Schelbe, Lisa, 2018. "Struggles, successes, and setbacks: Youth aging out of child welfare in a subsidized housing program," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 298-308.
    17. Blakeslee, Jennifer E. & Best, Jared I., 2019. "Understanding support network capacity during the transition from foster care: Youth-identified barriers, facilitators, and enhancement strategies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 220-230.
    18. Orúzar, Harry & Miranda, Rafael & Oriol, Xavier & Montserrat, Carme, 2019. "Self-control and subjective-wellbeing of adolescents in residential care: The moderator role of experienced happiness and daily-life activities with caregivers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 125-131.
    19. Sulimani-Aidan, Yafit, 2016. "In between formal and informal: Staff and youth relationships in care and after leaving care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 43-49.
    20. Kind, Nina & Bürgin, David & Clemens, Vera & Jenkel, Nils & Schmid, Marc, 2020. "Disrupting the disruption cycle – A longitudinal analysis of aggression trajectories, quality of life, psychopathology and self-efficacy in closed youth residential care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:126:y:2021:i:c:s0190740921001237. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.