Impact of early memories and current experiences of warmth and safeness on adolescents' psychological distress.

A variable-centered and a person-centered approach were performed to examine the role of early memories of warmth and safeness (EMWS) and current experiences of warmth and safeness (CEWS) on depressive and anxious symptoms among adolescents from community and residential youth care (RYC) settings. Variable-centered results revealed EMWS were only indirectly (through CEWS) associated with depressive and anxious symptoms. Person-centered outcomes allowed to identify four different profiles based on EMWS and CEWS, which differed on depressive and anxious symptoms. EMWS and CEWS seem to play an important role in psychological distress during adolescence. CEWS seem to have a protective role on RYC adolescents' psychological distress, even when EMWS were poor.

Development and Validation of the Current Experiences of Warmth and Safeness Scale in Community and Residential Care Adolescents.

Interpersonal experiences of warmth and safeness have a key role on emotion regulation and social development during childhood and adolescence. This paper presents a new and brief scale designed to assess the adolescents' perception of current experiences of warmth and safeness (CEWSS-A). Its dimensionality and psychometric properties were investigated using a Portuguese sample of 453 adolescents from the community and 319 adolescents from residential care facilities. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the 12-item scale has a one-factor measurement model. The CEWSS-A showed adequate internal consistency in the different samples (α > .92) and construct validity in relation to external variables. The CEWSS-A proved to be group invariant. Community adolescents reported a higher frequency of current experiences of warmth and safeness in comparison with residential care participants, and boys showed significantly higher scores than girls, within both samples. The CEWSS-A is an appropriate self-report measure for clinical and research purposes.

The Effects of the Compassionate Mind Training for Caregivers on Professional Quality of Life and Mental Health: Outcomes from a Cluster Randomized Trial in Residential Youth Care Settings.

Background: Psychological distress is highly noticeable among caregivers working in residential youth care (RYC). Maintaining and enhancing caregivers' professional mental health and quality of life is crucial to achieve effective outcomes in RYC. Nevertheless, trainings to protect caregivers' mental health are scarce. Considering the buffering effect over negative psychological outcomes, compassion training could be beneficial in RYC. Objective: This study is part of a Cluster Randomized Trial examining the effects of the Compassionate Mind Training for Caregivers (CMT-Care Homes), looking at professional quality of life and mental health of caregivers working in RYC. Method: The sample was composed of 127 professional caregivers from 12 Portuguese residential care homes (RCH). RCHs were randomly allocated at experimental (N = 6) and control group (N = 6). Participants were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 3 and 6-month follow-ups, answering to the Professional Quality of Life Scale and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. Program effects were tested using a two-factor mixed MANCOVA, with self-critical attitude and education degree as covariates. Results: MANCOVA showed a significant Time × Group interaction effects (F = 1.890, p = .014; ηp2 = .050), with CMT-Care Homes participants presenting lower scores on burnout, anxiety, and depression at 3 and 6-months follow-ups, when compared with controls. Participants that received CMT-Care Homes considered the program useful to deal with pandemic threats and with youth during lockdowns. Conclusion: This study shows the benefits of the CMT-Care Homes in helping professional caregivers reducing burnout, anxiety and depression, and dealing with pandemic challenges in RYC.Trial registration: This cluster randomized trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (TRN: NCT04512092) on 6th August 2020.

Fostering an affiliative environment in residential youth care: A cluster randomized trial of a compassionate mind training program for caregivers enrolling youth and their caregivers.

BACKGROUND: Affiliation has a positive role on well-being and human development. Most children and youth living in residential youth care (RYC) experienced maltreatment from significant others, becoming a particularly vulnerable group. Their complex needs require well trained caregivers who help them to heal and thrive. OBJECTIVE: This cluster randomized trial sought to test the Compassionate Mind Training program for Caregivers (CMT- Care Homes) effectiveness on affiliative outcomes across time. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A sample of 127 professional caregivers and 154 youth from 12 Portuguese residential care homes (RCH) participated on this study. METHODS: RCHs were randomized to treatment (n = 6) and control (n = 6) groups. Caregivers and youth completed self-report measures at baseline, post-intervention, and 6-month follow-up on social safeness and emotional climate. Caregivers were also evaluated on compassion outcomes. RESULTS: MANCOVA indicated large multivariate time X group effects. Univariate results suggested that caregivers from the treatment group showed improvements in compassion towards others and in self-compassion across time, while the control group gradually deteriorated in both variables. Youth and caregivers from the treatment group noticed a more soothing and safer RCH emotional climate, as well as feeling safer within relationships. At 6-month follow-up, improvements were retained by caregivers, but not by youth. CONCLUSIONS: The CMT- Care Homes brings a new model to RYC, that represents a promising approach in promoting safe relationships and affiliative environments in RCHs. Supervision should be provided to monitor care practices and sustain change across time.