Decision-making and goal setting among young people in residential care: Relationships with caregivers and the role of resilience

Adverse relational experiences, such as neglect and abuse during childhood, can impair young people’s ability to establish clear life goals and make assertive decisions. However, integration into Residential Care (RC) can provide an opportunity for emotional reorganization, especially when the relational context offers a safe, protective, and welcoming environment. The quality of relationships with significant figures of affection can be a protective factor for developing resilience and self-regulation skills in young people. This study analyzed the role of the quality of relationship to significant figures (teachers and caregivers in RC) in decision-making and the goal-setting process for young people in RC, as well as the mediating role of resilience in these associations. The sample comprised 109 young people (62.4 % male) aged between 12 and 23 years (M = 16.60; SD = 2.37). Data were collected through a sociodemographic questionnaire and self-report questionnaires: Relationship with Significant Figures Questionnaire (RSFQ), Short Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SSRQ), and Resilience Scale (RS). The results indicate that the quality of the relationship with RC caregivers is positively associated with young people’s ability to set life goals, with resilience mediating this relationship. Furthermore, an indirect association was also observed between the quality of attachment to institutional caregivers and the decision-making process through resilience. Family participation in the young people’s Life Projects (LP) was controlled, showing significant effects on decision-making. The results are discussed considering attachment theory, highlighting the role of relationships with significant figures in the emotional reorganization and future trajectory construction of young people in RC.