Reversing the Paradigm of Residential Care as a ‘Last Resort’. Educational Perspectives of Professionals Working with Adolescents with Mental Health Disorders

Mental health in adolescence represents one of the most pressing challenges in the current socio-health landscape, with a significant impact on both individual quality of life and collective dynamics. This study examines the role of therapeutic residential communities as educational and supportive environments for adolescents with complex mental disorders, through a qualitative investigation that integrates the analysis of 93 clinical and social case files and 15 semi-structured interviews with multidisciplinary professionals working in a Protected Therapeutic Residential Community in northern Italy. The findings show that these communities provide intensive care while serving as holistic educational settings. Here, minors build reparative relationships, develop practical skills, and begin to rebuild their identity. However, significant challenges emerge, including delayed access to residential care - often limited to emergency situations - and fragmented collaboration with families and local services, which undermines the sustainability of interventions. The study emphasizes the need for a cultural and operational paradigm shift, moving beyond the perception of residential care as a ‘last resort’ to reframe it as a preventive and proactive approach.