Viver em acolhimento familiar ou residencial: O bem-estar subjetivo de adolescentes em Portugal

Abstract

The concept of subjective well-being is complex and multifaceted and relates to what each person thinks, values and feels about their own life, according to their individual and social circumstances. The objective of this study is to compare the levels of subjective well-being of the children in residential and foster care, in relation to the children in the general population, and to understand the influence on the subjective well-being of the children of factors such as the school or the relationship with peers and adults. The sample is composed of three groups: 238 children living in the general population, 145 in residential care and 39 in foster care. The data were obtained through the application of the International Survey of Children's Wells questionnaire. The results indicate that the children in residential care have a lower subjective well-being compared to the groups of children in the family and in the general population. It is essential and urgent to develop foster care programs that enable an increasing number of children to grow up in a family environment, and to upgrade residential units in Portugal.