Mental health and resources in adolescents: A longitudinal cross-lagged panel analysis in out-of-home and biological families

This longitudinal study examines the reciprocal relationships between self-reported personal and contextual resources, mental health (internalising and externalising symptoms) and wellbeing in adolescents in out-of-home care (OOHC) compared to adolescents living with their biological families (BF). Data from two measurement points (T1, T2) were analysed using path models and multivariate analyses of variance. The results show stabilities of mental health over time in both groups, with wellbeing being less stable for adolescents in OOHC. Comparisons of different models with varying cross-lagged paths showed that the best model fit was found for the mental health-directed model, in which higher personal resources at T1 predicted significantly higher wellbeing scores in both groups at T2. In the OOHC group, higher personal resources at T1 were also associated with lower externalising symptoms at T2. Furthermore, the placement type (OOHC vs BF) proved to be a significant moderator. Adolescents in OOHC reported significantly fewer personal resources and more externalising symptoms. The findings emphasise the preventative importance of personal resources and argue for resource-oriented interventions, especially for at-risk adolescents in OOHC. In the long term, stable, validating care environments could promote the development of personal resources and encourage good mental health.

Plain language summary

How Young People in Care and Those Living With Their Biological Families Differ in Mental Health and Their Resources Over Time

This study looked at how young people growing up in foster or adoptive families are doing and compared them to those growing up with their biological parents. The researchers wanted to understand the role of resources in the mental health of adolescents. Resources in this context include strengths that help young people to cope better with challenges. These comprise internal strengths – such as self-confidence or optimism – as well as external support, like having people around who help them, listen to them and make them feel safe. The young people were surveyed twice, six months apart. The study found that adolescents with more resources felt better and had fewer mental health problems, whether they lived in foster/adoptive or biological families. This was especially true for internal strengths: those who reported having many internal strengths at the first time point also reported greater wellbeing six months later. For adolescents living in foster or adoptive families, these strengths were also linked to fewer behavioural problems. Overall, young people in foster or adoptive families reported fewer internal strengths and more behavioural difficulties. This is likely due to challenging experiences earlier in their lives. However, their overall wellbeing was not worse than that of their peers. This suggests that a placement in a supportive environment can make a big difference. The results highlight that it is important not only to support adolescents when they have problems, but also to strengthen their personal resources and support systems – especially for those who have experienced difficulties early in life.