Returning to the family after residential care: changes in young people’s well-being and their assessment of the transition
Loading...
Authors
Author (Corporation)
Publication date
19.06.2025
Typ of student thesis
Course of study
Collections
Type
01A - Journal article
Editors
Editor (Corporation)
Supervisor
Parent work
Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal
Special issue
DOI of the original publication
Link
Series
Series number
Volume
Issue / Number
Pages / Duration
Patent number
Publisher / Publishing institution
Springer
Place of publication / Event location
Edition
Version
Programming language
Assignee
Practice partner / Client
Abstract
There is lack of research on the self-reported subjective well-being of young people returning to their families after residential care. This study examined the self-reported subjective well-being of young people before and after returning to their families (n = 79) and compared it with that of young people who remained in the same residential care facility (n = 255). In addition, the study examined returners’ assessments of their transition to identify transition factors that are associated with an easier return. Data for this study were collected through a panel study that examines the personal lives of young people aged 12 to 17 in residential care in Switzerland. Using data from the 2022 and 2023 survey waves, the study found that returning to the family was the most common form of leaving residential care in this sample, at 49.9%. In addition, a significant increase in returners’ subjective well-being was found upon their return, but it was not significantly different from that of the young people who remained in the same residential care facility. More than 60% of the returners reported that they were coping quite well. However, almost a quarter of the returners reported that they had a rather difficult time after their return. Willingness to leave residential care and good professional support during the initial period after leaving care were found to be significant predictors of a less difficult time upon returning to the family. Yet, only 48.7% of returners reported receiving good professional support after leaving residential care.
Keywords
Event
Exhibition start date
Exhibition end date
Conference start date
Conference end date
Date of the last check
ISBN
ISSN
1573-2797
0738-0151
0738-0151
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
Yes
Strategic action fields FHNW
Publication status
Published
Review
Peer review of the complete publication
Open access category
Hybrid
License
Citation
Osswald, J. (2025). Returning to the family after residential care: changes in young people’s well-being and their assessment of the transition. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-025-01030-0