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One care setting does not fit all. Unravelling developmental trajectories and caregiver-youth dynamics for resilience and wellbeing in adolescents in alternative care

Project description

The developmental dynamics of adolescents in alternative care

Adolescents in alternative care face risks to their development, yet they can also experience positive change. Research has not clarified how their psychosocial functioning evolves or what fosters resilience, leaving key questions unanswered. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the CAREFAL project will investigate how adolescents’ self-regulation and the quality of their relationships with caregivers vary across different alternative care settings, mainly family foster care and residential care. Focusing on Portugal and Spain, the project will involve in-depth interviews with adolescents and caregivers to optimise services and resources in both countries. The results will enhance our understanding of adolescent development, provide evidence-based resources for families and professionals, and promote efficient resource use in alternative care settings.

Objective

Adolescents in alternative care are at high risk of developmental outcomes. However, adolescence also offers avenues for positive changes and recovery from early adversities. To date, research has faced challenges in determining how adolescents’ psychosocial functioning changes during their time in care, and underlying mechanisms that contribute to resilience and wellbeing. Therefore, the question of “what works, for whom, and in what circumstances?” remains unanswered. The CAREFAL project draws on psychology, social anthropology, and public health to disentangle the developmental trajectories of adolescents in two alternative care settings (i.e. family foster care, residential care). This unique proposal aims to explore the differences across settings and how adolescents’ self-regulation interacts with the quality of their relationships with caregivers to promote positive outcomes. Additionally, CAREFAL aims at comparing the two cases of Spain and Portugal to optimize services and resources in each country. I will use a longitudinal, mixed-method, multi-informant, comparative approach to achieve the research objectives. The quantitative phase will involve a 6-month longitudinal study, incorporating data from caregivers, adolescents, and administrative records. This will be complemented by in-depth interviews with adolescents and caregivers. The research outputs will have: 1) scientific impact, as they will enhance our understanding of adolescent development across alternative care settings; 2) social impact, as they will equip families and professionals with evidence-based resources for improving adolescents’ self-regulation and caregiver-youth relationships; and 3) economic impact, as they will contribute to the specialization of alternative care and the efficient use of resources. By enhancing my expertise through conceptual, methodological, and communication training, I will be better equipped to showcase my abilities in both academic and non-academic markets.

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01

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Coordinator

ASSOCIACAO ISCTE CONHECIMENTO E INOVACAO - CENTRO DE VALORIZACAO E TRANSFERENCIA DE TECNOLOGIAS
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 191 343,12
Address
AVENIDA DAS FORCAS ARMADAS, EDIFICIO ISCTE-IUL
1649-026 Lisboa
Portugal

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