A rights-based approach calls for studies to explore further the extent to which rights’ fulfillment in residential care affects young people’s mental health. A focus on protective factors, such as supportive relations, can inform policies and practices in residential care which is critical for youths’ empowerment and adaptive outcomes. However, existing studies on social support are mainly descriptive and qualitative in nature or focus on the effect of support in mental health. This study builds upon and enhances existing knowledge by exploring the moderating role of social support from educators in residential care and the association between perceived rights and psychological difficulties. A sample of 366 adolescents (53% boys) in residential care (M _age = 14.82; SD = 1.81) were included in this study and completed self-reported measures on perceived rights, support in residential care and psychological difficulties. Social support moderated the relationship between the perception of rights regarding respectful system practices, autonomy and contact with family, as well as psychological difficulties. When greater social support was perceived by the adolescents, higher perceptions of respectful system practices and lower perceptions of autonomy and contact with family were associated with lower levels of psychological difficulties. Results provide evidence for the positive role of rights’ fulfillment in psychological functioning in residential care, as well as the protective role of supportive educators.

以权利为基础的方法要求进行研究，以进一步探索在住宅护理中实现权利会影响年轻人的心理健康的程度。关注诸如支持性关系之类的保护性因素，可以为住宿照顾方面的政策和实践提供信息，这对青年赋权和适应性结果至关重要。但是，现有的关于社会支持的研究本质上主要是描述性和定性的，或者侧重于支持对心理健康的影响。这项研究通过探索教育工作者提供的社会支持在住宿照料中的适度作用以及感知到的权利与心理困难之间的联系，从而建立并增强了现有知识。366名青少年（53％的男孩）在机构护理中抽样（M _年龄= 14.82；SD= 1.81）包括在本研究中，并完成了有关权利，住房照料和心理障碍方面自我报告的措施。社会支持缓和了关于尊重制度实践的权利观念，自主权和与家庭的接触以及心理困难之间的关系。当青少年感觉到更大的社会支持时，对尊重的系统习惯的较高认知，对自治和与家庭接触的较低认知与较低的心理困难水平相关。结果提供了证据，证明了权利实现在寄宿家庭心理功能中的积极作用，以及支持性教育者的保护作用。