Perceptions of emerging adults who accessed residential treatment and entered a parental role

Youth who accessed residential mental health treatment (RT) continue to experience challenges related to their emotional and behavioral disorders, and continue to struggle in several life domains. Some of these youth also become parents. The purpose for this report was to explore the perceptions of emerging adults who accessed RT as a child or youth, and who became parents, about their life domains. These participants (n = 12) reported continued challenges in several domains of living, and some reported that impending parenthood helped motivate them to improve their behaviors. Many reported continued reliance on previous social workers. Implications for practice are discussed.