Background: In Chile, few studies have examined the subjective well-being of adolescents in residential care, whose life trajectories are often marked by adverse conditions and maltreatment. Although international agreements in recent decades have promoted mechanisms to strengthen family life for adolescents in vulnerable circumstances, a considerable group still live in residential care.
Objective: This study evaluated the subjective well-being of adolescents in residential care, focusing on both its cognitive and affective components, and analyzed results by gender.
Participants and setting: 268 adolescents (51.90% female, 44.40% male, and 3.70% self-defined as other gender) between 10 and 19 years of age living in residential care in Chile.
Methods: Data were collected using the instruments from the Children's Worlds international survey (https://isciweb.org). Descriptive statistics, correlations and multiple regression analyses were performed on variables associated with subjective well-being.
Results: Adolescents in residential care reported lower mean scores across all positive indicators of subjective well-being than those in the general population of the same age group. Females scored significantly lower than males in the cognitive components of well-being, revealing important gender differences.
Conclusions: Findings suggest that female and male adolescents experience residential care differently and underscore the value of considering both cognitive and affective components of subjective well-being. These results highlight challenges for public policies and interventions aimed at promoting the well-being of adolescents in alternative care.