Relevance of the social support network for the emancipation of young adults leaving residential care

Abstract

espanolIntroduccion. Este trabajo estudia el momento posterior a la salida del centro por mayoria de edad de los jovenes en acogimiento residencial que participan en el Plan de Preparacion para la Vida Autonoma de la Comunidad de Madrid, focalizandose en el factor mas relevante en el proceso de autonomia: la percepcion de los jovenes emancipados sobre su red social de apoyo y la importancia otorgada a las redes establecidas. Metodo. Estudio cuantitativo descriptivo, se emplea como instrumento un cuestionario (C4), validado por expertos y con preguntas abiertas y cerradas distribuidas en ocho dimensiones: vivienda y alojamiento, relaciones familiares, sociales y afectivas, salud, formacion, integracion laboral y gestion economica y vida residencial. La muestra esta comprendida por un grupo de jovenes extutelados mayores de edad equivalente al 70% de la poblacion total. Resultados. Los resultados muestran que la red social proviene del centro y otros recursos de proteccion, seguido de amigos del barrio y de centros de formacion; dandose algunos casos de aislamiento social. En cuanto al apoyo recibido, perciben ayuda de educadores y de amigos, en menor medida de la familia, cuyo apoyo es principalmente material, y de la pareja; siendo ambos valorados como fuentes de ayuda inestables. Aparecen nuevas redes con la creacion de una familia propia, considerando que menoscaba su autonomia en mayor medida que la facilita. Por ultimo, la calidad de las relaciones con quienes conviven tiene especial relevancia en su bienestar subjetivo. Discusion y conclusiones. Los jovenes buscan figuras que tengan un interes real por sus vidas, personas que les escuchen y les acompanen con relativa independencia del contexto del que provengan: familiar, comunitario, escolar, residencial, etc. Por tanto, de cara a la intervencion educativa, facilitar la interdependencia y trabajar en la consecucion y mantenimiento de una red social, aunque esta este compuesta solo por una o dos personas, son garantias de una intervencion satisfactoria favorecedora de su bienestar. EnglishIntroduction: This work studies the situation of young people after leaving residential care when they become of age. We have analysed, specifically, one of the most relevant factors for the emancipation: the perception of the social support network. Method: This is a descriptive quantitative study. To this end, a questionnaire (C4) was created and validated with experts, it has open and closed questions distributed in eight dimensions: housing and accommodation, family, social and affective relations, health, training, labour integration and economic management and residential life. The participants of the study are included in the Preparation Plan for Independent Living of the Community of Madrid and are equivalent to the 70% of the total population. Results: The results show that the social network comes from the centre and other care institutions, followed by friends from the neighbourhood and schools and high schools; there are some cases of social isolation. In regard of the social support that they identify, they perceive help from educators and friends, to a lesser extent from the family, whose support is mainly material, and from the couple; both being valued as unstable sources of help. New networks appear with the creation of a new family through maternity, considering that it undermines their autonomy much more than it facilitates it. The quality of the relationships with those who live with them has special relevance in their subjective well-being evaluation. Discussion or Conclusion: Young people look up for figures who have a real interest in their lives, people who listen to them and accompany them with relative independence of the context from which they come: family, community, school, residential, etc. Therefore, with regard to educational intervention, facilitating interdependence and working towards the attainment and maintenance of a social network, even if it is made up of only one or two people, are guarantees of a satisfactory intervention that favours their well-being.