Delayed Gratification and Psychosocial Wellbeing among High-Risk Youth in Rehabilitation: A Latent Change Score Analysis

Abstract

Therapeutic community is a rehabilitative option for youth delinquency. It adopts a strength-based approach through establishing supportive mentoring and peer relationships as well as emphasizing the development of prosocial behaviors (Malivert, Fatséas, Denis, Langlois, & Auriacombe, 2011). Studies have shown the positive impact of such intervention on future abstinence and delinquency at large but little is known about the underlying change processes (Edelen et al., 2007; Malivert et al., 2011). We present a multi-wave longitudinal study that investigated the dynamic relationship between gratification delay and three facets of psychosocial wellbeing—life satisfaction, life flourishing, lack of depressive symptoms—among a group of high-risk youth in a residential therapeutic community. Four waves of data were collected from 111 Hong Kong youths (76.7% male, mean age = 17.7) over one year. Latent change score analysis was employed to examine the univairate and bivariate changes of their levels of gratification delay and psychosocial wellbeing. Results suggest a growth trajectory in both gratification delay and psychosocial wellbeing. Moreover, delayed gratification was associated with the subsequent changes in the psychosocial wellbeing variables. The relationship between changes in delayed gratification and life flourishing was reciprocal. The findings shed light on the dynamic changes of wellbeing in high-risk youth, and highlight the potential contribution of incorporating elements of gratification delay in youth rehabilitation.