Mechanisms to Enhance Resilience and Post-traumatic Growth in Residential Care: a Narrative Review

Abstract Residential care is primarily considered most appropriate for young people with complex needs, often due to multi-type traumas. Children in are disproportionately disadvantaged, children residential vulnerable, which why it so important understand mechanisms that support resilience and post-traumatic growth this group of people. This review aimed advance our understanding how interventions, reflections upon experience, constructs can enhance developing children’s homes care. International quantitative qualitative studies were sought identify features underpin resilience. Following a systematic search six databases, 25 papers selected review, total sample 3198 individuals up the age 30 years old who either receiving ( N = 3037) or leavers 161). Themes from narrative synthesis developed. Therapeutic processes development included experiencing love trust staff through therapeutic relationships, nurturing self-compassion, promoting self-value self-belief, positive future thinking, problem-focused coping, school engagement, constructing origin story, visualisations stable future. Measures could more accurately reflect potential unique people, turn inform intervention design evaluation. appreciative intrapersonal, relational, community environmental factors be particularly useful design.