Banca de DEFESA: GABRIELA DE ARAÚJO BRAZ DOS SANTOS

Promoting the healthy development of adolescents in the context of institutional care

adolescence; institutionalreception; psychoeducationalprograms; groupintervention 

This thesis aimed to implement the Program to Promote the Healthy Development of Foster Adolescents (PROSA) and examine the development of adolescents in the context of institutional foster care. To meet this objective, three studies were carried out using different methodological designs. In the first study, an integrative literature review was carried out on the themes of intervention programs in the context of institutional care and how they are applied. Interventions in this context need to consider the needs of adolescents, so it is essential to think about the skills of the professionals who serve this public. The second study, with a four-quadrant approach, examined the development of adolescents in the context of institutional care through Ecological Insertion. It also aimed to characterize both the risk factors and the protective factors that influenced these adolescents, considering aspects of the ecological context of development. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 adolescents and 16 professionals. The adolescents answered the Young's Schema Questionnaire for Adolescents (B-YSQ-A).  The results indicate that adolescents in foster care present the maladaptive schemas of abandonment, negativism/pessimism, self-sacrifice, distrust/abuse and emotional inhibition as the most prevalent, influenced by adverse experiences and institutional dynamics. Relationships in this context based on institutional practices that offer a positive impact favor the healthy development of adolescents. The third study evaluated the implementation of PROSA. Nine adolescents from a foster care institution in the Baixada Fluminense region of Rio de Janeiro-Brazil took part. The satisfactory results show the feasibility of the study and its applicability in the context of implementation. PROSA stood out as a relevant strategy for mitigating the effects of vulnerability and strengthening the integral development of the participants. The three studies made it possible to achieve the aim of the thesis through an in-depth approach to the context, bringing together theoretical arguments and empirical evidence to verify that the application of PROSA, its learning and significant impacts on a group of fostered adolescents, stands out as an instrument for raising awareness and preventing conflicts and as a positive intervention in promoting emotional well-being and strengthening healthy bonds among fostered adolescents.