Emotional regulation, runaway and psychoactive substance use among adolescents in residential care centers

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Référence

*Hamel-Auger V, Couture S, Milot DM, Pascuzzo K, Laurier C, Monette S. (2026). Emotional regulation, runaway and psychoactive substance use among adolescents in residential care centers. Residential Treatment For Children & Youth. 1-19.

Résumé

Runaway behavior is a prevalent problem among adolescents in residential care centers and represents an opportunity to use psychoactive substances. For some adolescents in residential care centers, running away, like substance use, seems to be a strategy for regulating negative emotions. Although some studies point to emotional regulation difficulties among young runaways, to our knowledge, strategies associated with running away have not been addressed. The aim of the study is to examine associations between cognitive emotional regulation strategies and runaway behavior in adolescents in residential centers and to explore whether psychoactive substance use moderates this association. To address these objectives, 199 adolescent males (124 young runaways), aged 15–17 years, housed in residential care units, completed self-report questionnaires. Results of multivariate logistic regressions indicate that only the positive refocusing strategy was negatively associated with the presence of runaway. Moreover, the use of the positive refocusing and the refocus on planning strategies were negatively associated with the presence of runaway, but only among non-psychoactive substance using adolescents. Findings underscore the importance of helping adolescents in residential care centers develop adaptive emotional regulation strategies to prevent runaway, and the relevance of differential interventions specifically addressing the needs of substance users.

DOI