Self-esteem and psychological immune competence of young people raised in child protection care

The psychological well-being of young people in child protection care may be significantly influenced by the type of care and the characteristics of the caregiving environment. The present study aimed to examine self-esteem, psychological immune competence, and health behaviour among 15–25-year-old youth living in foster families or residential care homes. The research was conducted through a questionnaire-based data collection at the child protection center of Hajdú-Bihar County. Respondents completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the junior version of the Psychological Immune Competence Inventory developed by Attila Oláh. The aim of the study was to explore how different forms of care are associated with specific psychological and health-related behavioural characteristics, and to identify potential correlations between self-esteem, psychological protective factors, and various dimensions of health behaviour. The study examined the self-esteem, psychological resilience, and health behaviours of adolescents and young adults raised in child protection care, comparing foster care and residential care settings. The sample consisted of 118 participants (ages 15–25; group home: N = 61; foster care: N = 57). Self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, psychological resilience using the Junior Psychological Resilience Questionnaire, and health behaviours were recorded via a questionnaire. For the analysis, we used the Mann–Whitney U test and Spearman’s correlation, adjusting for group imbalance through weighting. No significant gender differences were found in self-esteem or in the sub-dimensions of psychological immunocompetence. Foster care was associated with a more favourable pattern for certain components of immunocompetence and health behaviour indicators, whereas there was no difference in global self-assessment. The number of care placements was negatively associated with psychological resilience, whilst the duration of care was positively associated with it. Alcohol consumption showed a positive, presumably maladaptive, association with self-assessment. Our findings highlight the importance of the form and stability of care, as well as the need to support individual development within the child welfare system.