A Comparison of Quality of Life and Happiness of Children and Adolescents in Residential Care with Children and Adolescents in Parental Care of Ahvaz in 2015

Although living in a children’s home provides physical security, nutrition, and shelter, it may lack psychological security. Therefore, attention needs to be focused on the quality of life of children and adolescents living in children’s homes. This descriptive-analytic study was conducted from April to January 2015 to compare the quality of life and happiness in adolescents and children in residential care and those in parental care in Ahvaz. This study, using an available multi-stage random sampling method, was performed on 150 children and adolescents aged 18 - 8 years old, the information of 75 children available in residential care, and 75 children and adolescents in parental care were gathered. The result showed the mean quality of life scores and happiness in children and adolescents in residential care (80.8 ± 9.08, 67.05 ± 13.59) was significantly lower than the mean score quality of life and the happiness of children and adolescents in parental care (103.61 ± 8.88, 83.24 ± 15.92) (P < 0.0001). Children and adolescents in residential care had a lower quality of life and happiness than children and adolescents in parental care.