Adolescence and mental health in residential care: Portrait of a decade in Portugal

Abstract

Portugal is one of the countries in Europe with the highest rates of children/young people in Residential Care (RC), with the majority being in adolescence. In this article, a comparative analysis of psychological adjustment indicators published in the Annual Characterization of the Situation of Out-of-Home Care reports in the last decade is carried out. The results point to an increasing representativeness of adolescence in behavior problems and diagnoses associated with mental health and an increasing prevalence of young people who are prescribed psychiatric medication. The findings highlight the need to produce knowledge that informs promotion and protection policies in order to adjust it to the needs of young people in RC.