Quebec Youth Centers services for adolescents with conduct problems I: Compatibility with youth and families' impediments
The frequency of conduct problems in adolescents, their relative stability, as well as recurrent Youth Centers' service utilization by a segment of these adolescents and their families underscore the need for increased knowledge on the available services. Indeed, examining compatibility between the youths' and families' impediments and the different custodial interventions offered by the Youth Centers (external follow-up, foster home, residential setting) is timely. This study targeted 92 adolescents referred to a Quebec Youth Center for conduct problems, in accordance with the Youth Protection Law. Three groups were formed based on the main intervention offered within the first three months of referral: external follow-up (n = 24), foster home (n = 20) and residential setting (n = 48). Our results demonstrate that adolescents placed in residential settings are most subject to mandatory measures, claim worse relationships with their mothers and are more likely to exhibit oppositional behaviors and alcohol abuse. However, group differences on these dimensions are modest and, on their own, do not elucidate the type of service provided. In fact, the results suggest there are more similarities than differences between groups in observed rates of diverse mental disorders as well as on parental and familial characteristics. Such findings question the criteria underlying the Youth Centers' decisions pertaining to differential service delivery.