The relationship between parental acceptance/rejection, emotional regulation and social support to rejection sensitivity and life satisfaction among young adults in the emerging adulthood stage - a comparison between young adults who grew up in out-of-ho

Emerging adulthood is considered a distinct developmental stage, occurring between the ages of 18 and 29, characterized by exploration of personal identity formation and commitment (Arnett, 2000). This period is particularly challenging for young adults who grew up in Therapeutic Residential Care. Due to the lack of a family support system, they are often forced to take on responsibilities in various domains at an accelerated pace (Sulimani-Aidan, 2012; Sulimani-Aidan, 2019; Stein, 2006). These young adults are the central focus of the current study. The theoretical framework of the study is based on Parental Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPAR Theory; Khaleque & Rohner, 2002), which proposes that experiences of parental acceptance and/or rejection in childhood are related to an individual's development in adulthood and their sense of well-being or distress.

This study explored the link between parental experiences in childhood (parental acceptance/rejection) and rejection sensitivity, as well as life satisfaction in young adults during emerging adulthood. It also examined how perceived social support and emotion regulation strategies serve as moderating factors. Additionally, a comparison was made between young adults who grew up in Therapeutic Residential Care and those raised in biological families.

The study involved 209 young adults aged 18-29. Among them, 124 were raised in biological families, while 85 were graduates of Therapeutic Residential Care. Of these, 69% grew up in educational boarding schools, 20% in Welfare therapeutic residential care, and 11% in other settings. The research tools included reliable and valid questionnaires: a demographic questionnaire, a parental acceptance/rejection questionnaire, a perceived social support questionnaire, an emotion regulation strategies questionnaire was examined using the strategies of 'reappraisal' and 'emotional suppression, a rejection sensitivity questionnaire was measured by the dimensions of rejection expectations and anxiety over rejection, and a life satisfaction questionnaire. Data was collected through self-report questionnaires after obtaining approval from the Ethics Committee of the School of Social Work at Bar-Ilan University. Participation in the study was voluntary and based on informed consent, ensuring participants' confidentiality and privacy. The data was analyzed using SPSS software.

The study results reveal significant differences between the groups; young adults who were raised in Therapeutic Residential Care reported higher levels of parental rejection during childhood and increased rejection sensitivity, along with lower levels of life satisfaction and perceived social support, compared to their peers raised in biological family settings. No significant differences were found between the groups in emotion regulation strategies. In both groups, paternal rejection during childhood was linked to higher rejection sensitivity in both dimensions. Maternal rejection during childhood was associated with high sensitivity in both dimensions only among young adults who grew up in biological homes. In contrast, among those raised in Therapeutic Residential Care, it was connected only to the rejection expectations dimension. Paternal rejection was related to lower life satisfaction among young adults raised in biological homes, while maternal rejection was related to lower life satisfaction among those raised in Therapeutic Residential Care. However, no significant differences were observed between the groups in these areas.

Regression analysis showed that growing up in Therapeutic Residential Care is associated with lower life satisfaction and higher rejection expectations. Additionally, paternal rejection in childhood was linked to lower life satisfaction and increased rejection sensitivity, while maternal rejection did not significantly predict the outcome variables. Finally, two important interactions emerged. First, with low perceived social support, there was a strong positive correlation between paternal rejection in childhood and rejection expectations in adulthood; This relationship disappeared when perceived social support was high. Second, when emotional suppression was low, there was a strong positive link between maternal rejection in childhood and rejection expectations in adulthood. However, when emotional suppression was high, this relationship reversed and became negative; high levels of emotional suppression were associated with a decreased rejection expectation.

Study Contribution: Given the uniqueness of the emerging adulthood period, numerous studies have examined the connection between childhood experiences and psychological well-being in adulthood among young adults. To the best of our knowledge, these connections have not yet been explored among young adults who grew up in Israeli Therapeutic Residential Care. The current study broadens the theoretical understanding of this population by comparing young adults who grew up in Therapeutic Residential Care with those raised in biological families. This comparison helps identify and understand the specific challenges faced by graduates of Therapeutic Residential Care and highlights the disparities between them and those raised in their biological homes. These findings may aid in developing targeted and sensitive interventions tailored to the needs of young adults from Therapeutic Residential Care, both on individual and systemic levels, to improve their well-being during their transition to independent living.