Yafit Sulimani-Aidan
Biographic Data
| ID | 4369728 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Yafit Sulimani-Aidan |
| GIVEN NAMES | Yafit |
| FAMILY NAME | Sulimani-Aidan |
| SIGNATURE | SULIMANI-AIDAN Y |
| AFFILIATIONS | Tel Aviv University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1869-7120 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 54 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 181 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 54 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 9 |
War exposure, resource loss, and mental health
“They Call Me the Girl from Residential Care”
Young adults leaving care constitute a particularly vulnerable population, encountering multiple challenges as they navigate this transition in the absence of familial support and broader social resources.The study’s aim was to explore the risks experienced by at-risk young adult Arabs in Israel as they transition out of care, with particular attention to how their minority status and cultural context shapes their journey as care leavers. Semi-st…
Resilience Processes Facilitating the Transition to Adulthood Among At‐Risk Young Adult Arabs in Israel
Resilience has been acknowledged as an important aspect of a holistic understanding of emerging adults who face structural and cultural challenges. As such, it serves as a framework for empirical research to examine the processes through which minoritized young adults navigate and better adapt to intersectional stressors across sociopolitical, sociocultural and interpersonal domains. In this exploratory study, we examined the perceptions of 35 at…
Resilience enablers at the intersection of minority status and cultural expectations
Despite the growing body of resilience research focusing on children and youth in stressful situations and environments, limited attention has been paid to the resilience of at-risk young adults and those from minority backgrounds, such as Arabs in Israel. Their status as at-risk members of an ethnic minority within a collectivist and patriarchal culture makes their situation particularly challenging, warranting greater empirical attention. In th…
Emerging Strengths
The present exploratory study investigated the challenges and coping strategies employed by at-risk young adult Arab Palestinians in Israel. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 individuals aged 18–29 who were receiving or received formal support. The findings revealed two categories: (a) socio-familial, cultural, and educational challenges, and b) coping strategies, including outward-facing strategies reflected in taking an active r…
Understanding the Link Between Social Support Networks, Self‐Efficacy and Future Orientation During Emerging Adulthood
At‐risk emerging adults may be less inclined to invest in future goals, yet the mechanisms underlying their future orientation (FO) remain unclear. Therefore, this study examined how social support network attributes contribute to FO in at‐risk and non‐at‐risk emerging adults and the mediating role of self‐efficacy. Participants included 701 individuals: 230 at‐risk emerging adults from Yated , a national Israeli program, and 471 non‐at‐risk peer…
Confused, alienated, and injured identity”
In this exploratory study, we aimed to investigate the role of minority identity in the experiences of at-risk young-adult Arabs, through the perspectives of professionals throughout Israel who treat them. Earlier studies have suggested that young-adult Arabs may be particularly preoccupied with their self-identity as a minority group, the political circumstances surrounding them, and feelings of discrimination. These aspects may prevent them fro…
Role expectations among mentors for care leavers
The goal of the present study was to examine the role expectations of mentors for care leavers and the factors associated with these expectations-namely, hope, coping strategies, and anticipated closeness with the mentee. The sample included 133 mentors at the beginning of the mentoring relationship. The findings showed that mentors who exhibited higher levels of hope and utilized problem-focused coping strategies were significantly more likely t…
Future orientation among young adult Arabs in Israel following the October 7 events
In this exploratory study, we examined the future orientation of young adult Arabs in Israel, considering their sociocultural context and the ongoing sociopolitical tensions exacerbated by the October 7 events. Future orientation, defined as individuals' perceptions, aspirations, and plans for their future, plays a critical role in personal development and goal achievement. However, little research has focused on how discrimination, ethnonational…
The role of formal supportive relationships during the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic and its implications may provide a unique lens through which to explore formal relationships and their role in the lives of at-risk young adults.As such, based on the framework of emerging adulthood theory and Lerner's positive youth development perspective, we investigated the perceptions and experiences of 30 at-risk emerging adults (18-25) who participate in Israel's national program for at-risk young adults and their soc…
Out-of-Home Care Experiences and Their Influence on the Journey to Adulthood
In the current qualitative study we explored care leavers’ perceptions of the influence of their out-of-home placement experiences in shaping their lives during the transition to adulthood. Forty-seven care leavers aged 18 to 29, who had been in residential care facilities or foster care, participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed two major themes – (1) participants’ perception of care as an environment that fostered s…
Shaping the Future Orientation of At-Risk Young Adults
Although future orientation (FO) is considered an important resiliencepromoting factor among at-risk youth, little is known concerning the FO of at-risk young adults. The current study explored the FO of at-risk young adults, including its motivational, cognitive and behavioral components, and investigated the contribution of various attributes of youths’ social networks. Participants were 230 at-risk young adults (18–25) who participated in Yate…
Challenges, Coping, and Personal Strengths during Covid‐19
The COVID‐19 pandemic significantly endangers the development of at‐risk young adults across various life domains, with potential enduring consequences. Despite prior reporting on the pandemic’s adverse effects on these individuals, there is a lack of the empirical literature regarding their resilience. Building upon the stress process model (Pearlin, 1978), we explored the challenges of 20 at‐risk young adults (aged 18–25 years) and the strategi…
Increasing resilience among LGBTQ youth
A comparative analysis of protective and promotive factors of at-risk youth in the community and in residential care settings in Israel
How care leavers faced the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic
Using a strength-based approach to social work with minority groups
Social workers have a significant role in empowering clients to discover their own strengths as well as strengths in their environment and to achieve social justice on behalf of oppressed populations. The goal of this exploratory qualitative study was to broaden our knowledge on strength-based approaches in working with minority and collectivist societies via the perspectives of 20 social workers and 19 managers of social service organizations an…
Unveiling the role of residential care in care leavers’ personal development and life outcomes
In the current quantitative study, we explored the perceived contribution of residential care (PCRC) to multiple life domains and the factors associated with these perceptions from three main stages in Israelis' care leavers' lives: precare, in care, and postcare. Drawing on a representative sample of 2,295 care leavers' retrospective reports, integrated with their longitudinal administrative records, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis a…
Predictors of hope among at-risk young adults in Israel during the transition to adulthood
This exploratory study examined hope among at-risk young adults and the factors associated with hope including income, housing, self-rated health, and education. The study, conducted among Israeli at-risk young adults, included 589 participants, ages 18-25 who received some form of treatment at one of Israel's social welfare service agencies. Findings indicated that young adults who had experienced housing instability/insecurity during the past y…
Positive cascades effect in care leavers resilience processes
Periods of uncertainty
The ongoing COVID-19 global health crisis has both short- and long-term implications for the lives of young adults worldwide, especially young adults from vulnerable communities. The current exploratory study is the first, to our knowledge, that investigates the impact of the pandemic on the lives of at-risk young adult Arabs, who are part of a national minority group in Israel. Twenty-eight at-risk young adults aged 18 to 25 participated in semi…
School belonging and hope among at‐risk youth
Based on resilience and hope theories (Snyder, 2000; Ungar & Theron, 2020), in the present study, we explored the contribution of academic support provided by family, school staff and mentors, as well as the contribution of family‐staff contact, to the hopefulness of 175 at‐risk youth ( M = 17.67; SD = 0.63), who had indicated having a mentor, and how school belonging mediated these relations. Structural equation modelling revealed that academic …
Determination of life satisfaction among young women care leavers from the Ultraorthodox Jewish community
Life satisfaction among alumni of youth villages in Israel
Empirical evidence on life satisfaction of care leavers is scant and often based on small and nonrepresentative samples. Based on the life course perspective, this study explored the role of objective and subjective factors in explaining life satisfaction among care leavers, both general and domain-specific (work-financial-housing, social relationships-emotional state). The sample was randomly drawn from the whole population of eight graduating b…
Psychological distress among care leavers during the transition to adulthood
The transition period from care to independent living is a vulnerable time for care leavers who may experience increased mental health problems. This study explored risk and protective factors contributing to and predicting their psychological distress as emerging adults. The study is based on an extensive set of longitudinal administrative records combined with structured phone interviews among a representative sample of 2295 alumni of education…
Care Leavers in Israel
The present study examines the adjustment of youth leaving residential treatment in Israel in three core areas: military service, accommodation, and financial status. A sample of 277 adolescents (aged 17–18 years old) in educational and welfare residential placements were interviewed a few months before leaving care, and 236 of them were interviewed 1 year after. It was hypothesized that optimism, higher perceived sense of readiness to leave care…
Future expectations of adolescents in residential care in Israel
Future Expectations as a Source of Resilience among Young People Leaving Care
Journal Article Future Expectations as a Source of Resilience among Young People Leaving Care Get access Yafit Sulimani-Aidan Yafit Sulimani-Aidan Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel *Correspondence to Yafit Sulimani-Aidan, Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Search for other works by this a…
Do they get what they expect
The subjective well-being of young people aging out of care
Care leavers' challenges in transition to independent living
Risk and resilience in the transition to adulthood from the point of view of care leavers and caseworkers
To dream the impossible dream
She was like a mother and a father to me’
Recent studies of youth in out‐of‐home placements have indicated that a successful mentoring relationship in care is associated with better emotional, educational and behavioural outcomes in adulthood. The goal of this exploratory qualitative study is to describe the profile of a staff member who is able to establish a meaningful relationship with youth in care through the perspectives of 20 young adults aged 21–26 who left care in Israel. Findin…
In between formal and informal
Challenges in the transition to adulthood of young-adult Arabs who graduated from residential facilities in Israel
Social networks during the transition to adulthood from the perspective of Israeli care leavers and their social workers
Qualitative exploration of supporting figures in the lives of emerging adults who left care compared with their noncare‐leaving peers
Studies on youth leaving care have emphasized their limited social support and their need for continuing support after emancipation. However, less is known about the nature of their existing social networks after emancipation and their roles during their transition to adulthood compared with their noncare‐leaving peers. With this in mind, 32 young adults aged 18 to 25 participated in semi‐structured interviews regarding their current support figu…
Assets and pathways in achieving future goals of residential care alumni
Comparison of hope and the child-parent relationship of at-risk adolescents at home and in residential care
School belonging and hope among at‐risk youth
Based on resilience and hope theories (Snyder, 2000; Ungar & Theron, 2020), in the present study, we explored the contribution of academic support provided by family, school staff and mentors, as well as the contribution of family‐staff contact, to the hopefulness of 175 at‐risk youth ( M = 17.67; SD = 0.63), who had indicated having a mentor, and how school belonging mediated these relations. Structural equation modelling revealed that academic …
The role of natural mentoring and sense of belonging in enhancing resilience among youth in care
Left behind
This paper addresses the challenges and benefits of involving biological parents in group homes in Israel and presents various means to encourage their involvement in care. Using family systems theories and the concept of co‐parenting, it analyses the fragile and complex relationship caseworkers and foster parents have with biological parents. The paper presents four components that might play a role in encouraging parental involvement to benefit…
Psychological distress among care leavers during the transition to adulthood
The transition period from care to independent living is a vulnerable time for care leavers who may experience increased mental health problems. This study explored risk and protective factors contributing to and predicting their psychological distress as emerging adults. The study is based on an extensive set of longitudinal administrative records combined with structured phone interviews among a representative sample of 2295 alumni of education…
Future orientation among at‐risk youth in Israel
Although future orientation (FO) has been empirically linked with resilience, literature concerning the factors and the mechanisms that play a role in promoting positive FO among at-risk youth is scarce. This study investigated the contribution of mentoring to the FO of at-risk youth and the mediating role of their perceived life skills in this relationship. The participants included 198 adolescents (16-19 years old) from 11 schools for at-risk y…
Future Expectations of Adolescents
This study investigates the association between mentoring and future expectations of youth in residential placements in Israel, and how family engagement during care and sense of belonging mediate this relationship. The participants included 213 adolescents (16-19 years old). Structural equation modeling revealed that mentoring contributed to the youths' future expectations indirectly via family engagement in care, sense of belonging, and the cha…
Barriers and resources in transition to adulthood among at-risk young adults
Periods of uncertainty
The ongoing COVID-19 global health crisis has both short- and long-term implications for the lives of young adults worldwide, especially young adults from vulnerable communities. The current exploratory study is the first, to our knowledge, that investigates the impact of the pandemic on the lives of at-risk young adult Arabs, who are part of a national minority group in Israel. Twenty-eight at-risk young adults aged 18 to 25 participated in semi…
Determination of life satisfaction among young women care leavers from the Ultraorthodox Jewish community
Merging micro and macro practice
Future expectations of adolescents in residential care in Israel
The subjective well-being of young people aging out of care
Care Leavers in Israel
The present study examines the adjustment of youth leaving residential treatment in Israel in three core areas: military service, accommodation, and financial status. A sample of 277 adolescents (aged 17–18 years old) in educational and welfare residential placements were interviewed a few months before leaving care, and 236 of them were interviewed 1 year after. It was hypothesized that optimism, higher perceived sense of readiness to leave care…
Child maltreatment reports in Israel
The authors examined the relationship between community characteristics and child maltreatment reports in Israel, comparing Jewish and Arab localities both in terms of maltreatment reports and the responses of the social services to these reports. Administrative data were obtained from the protective services and the Central Bureau of Statistics for 231 local authorities in Israel (covering 98% of children in Israel). Jewish communities showed si…
Care leavers' challenges in transition to independent living
Do they get what they expect
She was like a mother and a father to me’
Recent studies of youth in out‐of‐home placements have indicated that a successful mentoring relationship in care is associated with better emotional, educational and behavioural outcomes in adulthood. The goal of this exploratory qualitative study is to describe the profile of a staff member who is able to establish a meaningful relationship with youth in care through the perspectives of 20 young adults aged 21–26 who left care in Israel. Findin…
In between formal and informal
Left behind
This paper addresses the challenges and benefits of involving biological parents in group homes in Israel and presents various means to encourage their involvement in care. Using family systems theories and the concept of co‐parenting, it analyses the fragile and complex relationship caseworkers and foster parents have with biological parents. The paper presents four components that might play a role in encouraging parental involvement to benefit…
To dream the impossible dream
Comparison of hope and the child-parent relationship of at-risk adolescents at home and in residential care
Barriers and resources in transition to adulthood among at-risk young adults
Future Expectations as a Source of Resilience among Young People Leaving Care
Journal Article Future Expectations as a Source of Resilience among Young People Leaving Care Get access Yafit Sulimani-Aidan Yafit Sulimani-Aidan Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel *Correspondence to Yafit Sulimani-Aidan, Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Search for other works by this a…
Qualitative exploration of supporting figures in the lives of emerging adults who left care compared with their noncare‐leaving peers
Studies on youth leaving care have emphasized their limited social support and their need for continuing support after emancipation. However, less is known about the nature of their existing social networks after emancipation and their roles during their transition to adulthood compared with their noncare‐leaving peers. With this in mind, 32 young adults aged 18 to 25 participated in semi‐structured interviews regarding their current support figu…
Assets and pathways in achieving future goals of residential care alumni
Promoting resilience among adolescents in care from their social workers' perspectives
Risk and resilience in the transition to adulthood from the point of view of care leavers and caseworkers
Present, protective, and promotive
Mentoring relationships are considered among the most significant relationships with nonparental figures and a protective factor against a wide range of negative outcomes. This exploratory study explored mentoring relationships in the lives of 140 care leavers, and the way those relationships influenced their life course. Findings showed that most of the mentors were known to the young adults from their former care placement for 3 years and above…
The contribution of mentoring to the life skills of youth leaving care in Israel
The goal of this study was to examine the contribution of natural mentoring to the improvement of life skills among youth in care in core areas of education, employment, and avoidance of risk behaviours while controlling for personal characteristics and placement history. The sample includes 174 adolescents in residential care in Israel. Results showed that mentoring duration and mentoring functions including mentor as “role model,” “parental fig…
Nurturing the hope of youth in care
Hope has long been viewed as important to individuals attempting to overcome obstacles. Overall hope is the combination of one's appraisal of capability and determination to achieve goals (Agency) and identifying viable routes to reach them (Pathway) (Snyder, 1994). The main goal of this study was to examine the incremental contribution of mentoring to hope among youth on the verge of leaving care above and beyond related personal characteristics…
Risk and protective factors among at‐risk ultraorthodox Jewish youth in Israel
This study examined the role of personal (mastery), familial (relationship with parents), and communal (sense of community and sense of belonging to a youth centre) aspects for at-risk youths' adjustment. Specifically, we investigated their role as protective and risk factors for behavioural adjustment (risk behaviour) and psychological adjustment (hope). The study, conducted among Ultraorthodox Jewish males, included 80 participants, ages 14-24 …
Challenges in the transition to adulthood of young-adult Arabs who graduated from residential facilities in Israel
Social networks during the transition to adulthood from the perspective of Israeli care leavers and their social workers
At-risk Israeli-Arab young adults
Psychological distress among care leavers during the transition to adulthood
The transition period from care to independent living is a vulnerable time for care leavers who may experience increased mental health problems. This study explored risk and protective factors contributing to and predicting their psychological distress as emerging adults. The study is based on an extensive set of longitudinal administrative records combined with structured phone interviews among a representative sample of 2295 alumni of education…
Psychology (48 works) · Social Psychology (30 works) · Developmental psychology (29 works) · Medicine (28 works) · Family Support in Illness (24 works) · Sociology (24 works) · Child Welfare and Adoption (23 works) · Social Psychology (23 works) · Political science (18 works) · Gerontology (17 works)