Citation

Wells K, Wyatt E, Hobfoll S. Child. Youth Serv. Rev. 1991; 13(3): 199-216.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0190-7409(91)90005-3

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This descriptive study examined the relationships among differing sources of social support, stress, stability, and adaptation of youths who had been in residential treatment. Study subjects were 50 former residents one to three years postdischarge. Data were drawn from interviews with youths and from youths' treatment records. The structured interview included four standardized measures. The study interviewer knew neither the subjects nor their clinical status at discharge. Correlational and multivariate analyses of data revealed that (a) differing dimensions of adaptation are related; (b) differing sources of social support are not related; (c) among the sources of social support, family support is related most strongly to adaptation; (d) family support, stress, and stability, considered together, are related to adaptation. Each also has an independent effect on differing dimensions of adaptation; (e) when knowledge of youths' scores on family support, stress, and stability is applied, it is easier to predict youths who have adapted poorly postdischarge than those who have adapted well. Implications of findings for future research and program design are delineated.