The Importance of Social Support for Well-Being Among Late Adolescents With Experience of Out-of-Home Care in Sweden
(2026) In Child and Family Social Work- Abstract
Social support is important for human well-being. Adolescents with experience of out-of-home care (OHC) have an increased risk of low well-being and lack of strong social support networks. Well-being in the general population is known to fluctuate during the life-course, particularly during adolescence. The purpose of this study was to increase our understanding of how well-being differs at different time-points in youth with experience of OHC and the extent to which quantity and perceived quality of social support predict well-being. A sample of OHC-experienced adolescents (N = 132) in Sweden completed a self-report questionnaire at two time-points 8 months apart. We used a broad range of measures to capture several aspects of... (More)
Social support is important for human well-being. Adolescents with experience of out-of-home care (OHC) have an increased risk of low well-being and lack of strong social support networks. Well-being in the general population is known to fluctuate during the life-course, particularly during adolescence. The purpose of this study was to increase our understanding of how well-being differs at different time-points in youth with experience of OHC and the extent to which quantity and perceived quality of social support predict well-being. A sample of OHC-experienced adolescents (N = 132) in Sweden completed a self-report questionnaire at two time-points 8 months apart. We used a broad range of measures to capture several aspects of well-being. Results show (1) different patterns of well-being profiles across time-points; (2) no differences in mean values of individual well-being indicators; (3) that the individual scores of well-being indicators differed more for some and were more stable for others; and (4) that quality of social support was an important predictor of well-being at both time-points. These results contribute to the current literature by providing a more nuanced picture of well-being and social support in OHC-experienced adolescents. We discuss the implications for developing and providing services for this population.
(Less)
- author
- Karlsson, Matilda ; Skoog, Therése ; Bergström, Martin LU and Olsson, Tina M. LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- in press
- subject
- keywords
- adolescents, cluster analysis, intervention development, out-of-home care, social support, well-being
- in
- Child and Family Social Work
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105038667070
- ISSN
- 1356-7500
- DOI
- 10.1111/cfs.70214
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a0de24c5-2dda-4cf1-9ca1-c066633d80db
- date added to LUP
- 2026-08-13 16:37:17
- date last changed
- 2026-08-13 16:37:47
@article{a0de24c5-2dda-4cf1-9ca1-c066633d80db,
abstract = {{<p>Social support is important for human well-being. Adolescents with experience of out-of-home care (OHC) have an increased risk of low well-being and lack of strong social support networks. Well-being in the general population is known to fluctuate during the life-course, particularly during adolescence. The purpose of this study was to increase our understanding of how well-being differs at different time-points in youth with experience of OHC and the extent to which quantity and perceived quality of social support predict well-being. A sample of OHC-experienced adolescents (N = 132) in Sweden completed a self-report questionnaire at two time-points 8 months apart. We used a broad range of measures to capture several aspects of well-being. Results show (1) different patterns of well-being profiles across time-points; (2) no differences in mean values of individual well-being indicators; (3) that the individual scores of well-being indicators differed more for some and were more stable for others; and (4) that quality of social support was an important predictor of well-being at both time-points. These results contribute to the current literature by providing a more nuanced picture of well-being and social support in OHC-experienced adolescents. We discuss the implications for developing and providing services for this population.</p>}},
author = {{Karlsson, Matilda and Skoog, Therése and Bergström, Martin and Olsson, Tina M.}},
issn = {{1356-7500}},
keywords = {{adolescents; cluster analysis; intervention development; out-of-home care; social support; well-being}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{Child and Family Social Work}},
title = {{The Importance of Social Support for Well-Being Among Late Adolescents With Experience of Out-of-Home Care in Sweden}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cfs.70214}},
doi = {{10.1111/cfs.70214}},
year = {{2026}},
}