Psychosocial development and adaptation during adolescence: a look at institutionalized adolescents

This paper presents the notions of development and adaptation in adolescence and the processes that generate resilience, integrating with the findings of studies on the effects of institutionalization on the psychosocial development of adolescents. Investigations show that institutionalization tends to produce adverse effects on the psychosocial development of adolescents, and lead to negative results in adulthood. Where there are no other viable solutions to institutionalization, it should last as little as possible. It is always necessary to consider the negative impacts of institutionalization and the potential benefits for the development of young people. If the benefits are not concrete and feasible, institutionalization is no useful.

Prevalence of tooth loss and associated factors in institutionalized adolescents: a cross-sectional study

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of tooth loss and associated factors in institutionalized adolescents. This cross-sectional study included 68 male adolescents incarcerated from Socio-Educational Assistance Center (CASE) aged between 15 and 19 years. Questionnaires were applied individually to assess sociodemographical, economical, medical, behavioral and oral health self-perception variables. All present teeth were evaluated by Decay, Missing, Filling (DMF) Index. The prevalence of tooth loss was analyzed in individuals with ≥1 tooth loss. Associations between tooth loss and exposure variables studied were analyzed by Poisson Regression with robust variance estimation. The prevalence of tooth loss was 47.06%. First molars in the mandible and maxilla and central incisor in the maxilla were the most absent teeth. In the multivariate model, number of decayed teeth, and those that reported daily use of medication were associated with higher tooth loss. Besides, tooth loss was associated with decayed tooth and daily use of medication. Oral health promotion and treatment should be implemented in these institutions to reduce the prevalence of dental loss in these adolescents.

Yoga as Complementary Care for Young People Placed in Juvenile Institutions—A Study Plan

Recent studies have established yoga practice as a mainstream complementary clinical tool within correctional environments. It is shown that regular yoga practice is coupled with improved impulse control, sustained attention, attenuated antisocial and self-harm behaviors, reduced stress, and psychological distress. No academic research until now has provided evidence of mental health benefits of yoga for institutionalized young people. In Sweden, each year more than thousand adolescents receive compulsory care at juvenile institutions run by the Swedish National Board of Institutional Care. These young people are characterized by substance abuse, aggressive and antisocial behaviors, high frequency of self-harm, and the experience of abuse. Most of them manifest attention problems, depression, anxiety, and impulsivity. They have a dramatically increased risk for recidivistic criminal behavior, continuous medical, and social care and untimely death. The present study plan aims at evaluating, with previously validated psychological measures, in a quasi-experimental design, the effects of yoga practice for institutionalized adolescents. Adolescents' experiences of participating in yoga practice will also be assessed by semi-structured individual interviews. Ethical approval was given by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority. It is hypothesized that yoga practice (in combination with the standard treatment within institutional care) will reduce institutionalized adolescents' aggression, antisocial behavior, anxiety, depression, and negative affect, and increase their cognitive flexibility (in the form of increased impulse control).

Socio-Psychological Predictors of Successful Integration of Institutionalized Adolescents into Mainstream Schools

Introduction. The study sought to reveal socio-psychological factors of successful integration of institutionalized adolescents into mainstream schools. The relevance of the research is determined by the necessity to spread practices of integrating institutionalized children and adolescents into mainstream schools to expand their social experience. Materials and Methods. The purpose of the study was to explore the socio-psychological predictors that determine the successfulness of integration of institutionalized adolescents into mass secondary schools. Among the sociopsychological predictors of integration success, we analyzed the communicative characteristics of adolescents and the specifics of their relations with other subjects of the educational process. The study involved 678 people including students of secondary schools with integration programs, their parents and teachers. The empirical data were collected through questionnaires, expert survey of teachers, and projective drawing with subsequent expert evaluation of the results, as well as testing, including M. Kondash’ Anxiety Scale (to assess the adaptation of orphaned children in school), S. Bratchenko’s methods “Direction of the personal communication”, M. Snyder’s Diagnostics of communicative control (to assess their communicative potential) and J. Moreno’s Sociometry (to assess their place in the system of interpersonal relations with classmates). Results. The results show that about one out of ten institutionalized adolescents successfully integrates into the educational process of mainstream schools, while the others experience difficulties in this process. Significant predictors of successful integration are indicators that characterize the communication skills of institutionalized adolescents, as well as their relationships with “adult” subjects of the educational process (primarily, parents of classmates). The most favorable conditions for the successful integration of institutionalized adolescents into mainstream schools are associated with the first stages of their attendance at a mainstream education institution. Discussion and Conclusion. The findings contribute to social and educational psychology and can be used to develop scientifically-based system of social-psychological support of integration of institutionalized adolescents into mainstream schools, the targets which should be aimed at the development of communicative skills of institutionalized adolescents, and also on formation of system of their relations with other subjects of educational process.

Depression in Institutionalized Adolescents: The Role of Memories of Warmth and Safeness, Shame and Self-criticism

Institutionalization is a current problem, related to several indicators of psychological maladjustment. In the same way, there are several studies that point to the role of shame and self-criticism in the development of psychopathology. Therefore, our study explored, in institutionalized adolescents, whether early memories of warmth and safeness (EMWS) were associated to depression through external shame and self-criticism. The sample included 171 institutionalized adolescents (60.2% girls; Mage = 15.56; SD = 1.49). Depression, EMWS, external shame and self-criticism were assessed. The EMWS didn’t show a direct effect on depression, exerting its effect indirectly through external shame and self-criticism. The relationship between EMWS and self-criticism was fully mediated by external shame, and the relationship between external shame and depression was fully mediated by self-criticism. In conclusion, the way the individual sees and relates to the self seems to impact on psychological adjustment and in the development of psychopathology. The fact that external shame and self-criticism fully mediated the relationship between EMWS and depression emphasizes the relevance of preventive and therapeutic approaches that aim to promote a healthier way of relating to the self.

Resilience in institutionalized adolescents without parental care in the state of Morelos México

Introduction. Resilience has been proposed as a novel research topic in environments with vulnerable populations, since it promotes healthy development in the face of adverse circumstances. In the case of adolescents without parental care, foster care in social institutions has been one of the resources most used by the State to offer protection and guarantee the human rights of girls, boys and adolescents in Mexico, who may or may not present a disability and who lack a father, mother or guardian, for which by means of these institutions they guarantee the healthy development of minors. Objective. Analyze the levels of resilience in institutionalized adolescents without parental care, with and without disabilities. Method. Analytical transversal. The Asylum Anomie and Nominal Resilience Inventory (IAAR) was applied. 29 adolescents (men) with an age range of 12 to 19 years participated, 24 without disabilities (SD) and 5 with disabilities (CD). Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS v.25 program. Results. 17 adolescents (58.6%) presented resilience, 12 (41.3%) did not present resilience according to the IAAR. Conclusions. In our study, more than half of institutionalized adolescents show resilience according to the IAAR.