Does Natural Mentoring Matter? A Multilevel Meta-analysis on the Association Between Natural Mentoring and Youth Outcomes

Effectiveness and working mechanisms of the InConnection approach in multi-problem families: study protocol of a mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

Multi-problem families face problems in several domains that are often found to be chronic and intergenerational. Effective mental health care for youth from these families is currently lacking, urging research on new methods. The InConnection approach is an integrated care program to improve resilience in multi-problem families by connecting the professional expertise from multiple disciplines with the informal social network of the youth. Specifically, youth are asked to nominate a youth initiated mentor (YIM) from among the supportive adults in their network. The aim of this protocol is to describe the design of a mixed-methods study to examine the effectiveness and working mechanisms of the InConnection approach.

METHOD/DESIGN

The effectiveness of the InConnection approach is studied in a quasi-experimental questionnaire study using propensity score matching, with N = 300 families with youth aged 10-23 years receiving treatment in either the intervention group (InConnection approach) or the control group (care as usual). The main outcome variables include youth resilience (primary), youth mental health, parental functioning, and the number, duration and types of out-of-home placements. Mediators, moderators, and predictors of effectiveness are examined. Assessments take place at the start of the care program and after three, nine and 15 months. Additionally, semi-structured interviews are conducted with families who have and have not nominated a YIM to understand why some families successfully nominate a YIM, whereas others do not.

DISCUSSION

Effective care for youth in multi-problem families is urgently needed. Given its flexibility and accessibility to suit all youth aged 10-23 years from multi-problem families, and its low costs compared to out-of-home placements, the InConnection approach seems an appealing approach to support these families. The current study will provide information on the effectiveness of the InConnection approach. Strengths of this study include its robust design, the ecological validity, and the inclusion of possible mediators, predictors, and moderators of treatment effects.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Netherlands Trial Register NL7565 . Retrospectively registered on March 5, 2019.

"I missed open arms": The Need for Connectedness among Black Youth Affected by Parental Drug Use

Parental drug use has significant impacts on the physical, behavioral and social well-being of adolescents, particularly those from disenfranchised communities. We conducted a qualitative study to understand connectedness among Black adolescents affected by parental drug use in Baltimore, Maryland. In-depth interviews (N=30) were conducted with three groups: parents with a history of drug use, youth (18-24yo) who had a biological parent with a history of drug use and youth providers with experience working with families affected by drug use. Data were analyzed inductively using a content analytic approach. Three salient themes emerged: (1) missing parental connections, (2) the desire for consistent, trusted adults and (3) the consequences of missed connections. All participants emphasized the limited emotional support and guidance provided to youth affected by parental drug use. However, extended family members (e.g., grandmothers, aunts, and older siblings) and community mentors stepped in to fulfill unmet needs, when possible. The consequences of missed connections were increased involvement in risky behaviors, fewer basic necessities and a missed childhood. Findings from the study deepen the understanding of how to support the well-being of youth impacted by parental drug use and highlight the value of including the voices of vulnerable families in research.

A Two-way Street: Mentor Stress and Depression Influence Relational Satisfaction and Attachment in Youth Mentoring Relationships

Over the past two decades, youth mentoring programs have increased in popularity as an intervention for children exposed to a range of stressful life circumstances. Such programs have been shown to promote positive youth development and reduce risk for emotional and behavioral problems; yet, the effect size of youth gains remains small. The current study examined the influence of college student mentors' history of early life stress and baseline depressive symptoms on their effectiveness in youth mentoring relationships using 340 randomized mentor-youth pairs from College Mentors for Kids, a well-established mentoring program with chapters across the United States. Hierarchical linear models revealed that mentors with higher levels of depressive symptoms reported lower relationship satisfaction and increased avoidance in the mentoring relationship. In contrast, mentors who experienced higher levels of early life stress had youth who reported greater satisfaction in the mentoring relationship and decreased relational anxiety. These findings are some of the first to examine the impact of mentor characteristics on mentor-youth relationships and highlight the importance of considering factors relevant to psychosocial functioning and emotional distress when recruiting, training, and supporting college student mentors.

Helping me helps us: The role of natural mentors in the ethnic identity and academic outcomes of Latinx adolescents

This research investigated the potential contributions of natural mentoring relationships and ethnic identity to the academic attitudes and performance of Latinx high school students. In a sample of 347 urban Latinx students in grades 9 and 10, analyses examined the presence and quality of mentoring relationships as well as ethnic identity exploration and affirmation as predictors of changes in grade point average and the perceived economic value of education. Analyses included tests for a hypothesized role of ethnic identity in mediating associations of mentoring measures with the academic outcomes. The presence of a mentoring relationship was not significantly related to ethnic identity or change in academic outcomes over time. However, mentoring relationship quality was associated with a more positive ethnic identity, and support was found for the hypothesis that ethnic identity mediates the association between the quality of mentoring relationships and change over time in the economic values toward education among Latinx adolescents. Study findings suggest the importance of supportive adults in the ethnic identity and academic outcomes of Latinx adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Association of Existence of Third Places and Role Model on Suicide Risk Among Adolescent in Japan: Results From A-CHILD Study

Objective: Low self-esteem among adolescents can be considered a risk factor for suicidal behavior in adolescents. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the association between the existence of a third place and role model on self-esteem among adolescents in Japan, where low self-esteem is prevalent among adolescents. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2016 Adachi Child Health Impact of Living Difficulty (A-CHILD) study, in which a school-based questionnaire was conducted among children in grades 4, 6, and 8 living in Adachi City, Tokyo (N = 1,609). Children self-rated their own levels of self-esteem. Low self-esteem was defined as lower 10 percentile group. The existence of a third place was defined as a place where children spent time after school other than the home or school campus, and role model was defined as having someone, other than a parent, who they looked up to, and these concepts were assessed via questionnaire. Results: Adolescents without a third place and role model accounted for 10.5 and 6.1%, respectively. We found that children who lacked a third place also showed a significant association with low self-esteem (OR: 1.75, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09-2.81), and those who lacked a role model were 3.34 times more likely to have lower self-esteem (95% CI: 1.98-5.62). Conclusion: The existence of a third place and a role model may be important to prevent low self-esteem among adolescents in Japan.

Evaluating the Effects of a Rent Subsidy and Mentoring Intervention for Youth Transitioning Out of Homelessness: Protocol for a Mixed Methods, Community-Based Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Although the risk factors associated with young people entering and becoming entrenched in street life have been thoroughly investigated, peer-reviewed evidence is scarce to nonexistent for rigorous interventions targeting social integration outcomes for young people who have experienced homelessness. From the limited research that has been done, emerging evidence signals that, although structural supports such as subsidized housing and social service providers are important, these resources alone are insufficient to help young people integrate into the mainstream society.

Objective

The overarching aim of this study is to assess whether and how rent subsidies and mentorship influence social integration outcomes for formerly homeless young people living in market rent housing in 3 Canadian cities. The primary outcome measures for this study are community integration (psychological and physical) and self-esteem at 18 months. Secondary outcomes include social connectedness, hope, and academic and vocational participation at 18 months. Exploratory outcomes include income, perceived housing quality, engulfment, psychiatric symptoms, and participant perspectives of intervention barriers and facilitators.

Methods

This is a convergent mixed methods, open-label, 2-arm parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 1:1 allocation embedded within a community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) framework. The intervention will provide 24 young people (aged 16-26 years), who have transitioned out of homelessness and into market rent housing within the past year, with rent subsidies for 24 months. Half of the young people will also be randomly assigned an adult mentor who has been recruited and screened by 1 of our 3 community partners. Data collection will occur every 6 months, and participants will be followed for 30 months.

Results

Ethical approval for this study has been obtained from the Providence, St Joseph’s, and St Michael’s Healthcare Research Ethics Board (number 18-251). Enrollment took place from April 2019 to September 2019. Preliminary analysis of the baseline quantitative and qualitative data is underway.

Conclusions

This pilot RCT will be the first to test the impact of economic and social support on meaningful social integration for formerly homeless young people living in market rent housing. We believe that the mixed methods design will illuminate important contextual factors that must be considered if the intervention is to be scaled up and replicated elsewhere. Importantly, the CBPAR framework will incorporate the perspectives of the community, including formerly homeless young people, who are in the best position to determine what might work best in the context of their lives.

Trial Registration

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03779204; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03779204.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/15557

Co-occurrence of Violence-Related Risk and Protective Behaviors and Adult Support Among Male Youth in Urban Neighborhoods

IMPORTANCE

Male youth in lower-resource neighborhoods bear a disproportionate burden of violence involvement, but little is known about clusters of specific violence-related behaviors to inform cross-cutting interventions that address multiple forms of violence.

OBJECTIVE

To examine associations between adult support and patterns of violence and risk or protective behavior co-occurrence among male youths in urban neighborhoods.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Cross-sectional analysis of baseline and end-of-program data from a recently completed cluster-randomized sexual violence prevention trial across 20 lower-resource neighborhoods. Participants were male youths, aged 13 to 19 years, enrolled at youth-serving community agencies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from July 27, 2015, to June 5, 2017. Data were analyzed from July 1, 2018, to February 28, 2019.

EXPOSURES

Social support and natural mentoring, as defined by validated survey measures.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Validated survey measures (youth violence, bullying, sexual and dating violence, history of exposure to violence and related adversities, substance use, school engagement, and future orientation) were assessed for detailed co-occurrence patterns using hierarchical clustering, dendrograms, and heatmaps across prespecified domains. Wilcoxon rank sum tests and logistic regression models examined associations between adult support and violence involvement.

RESULTS

Among 866 participants, the mean (SD) age was 15.5 (1.6) years and 632 participants (77.5%) identified as African American. All 866 participants completed baseline surveys and 577 completed end-of-program surveys. Seven clusters of risk and protective behaviors emerged: (1) school engagement; (2) career and future aspirations; (3) substance use and bullying exposure; (4) exposure to violence and related adversities, sexual violence exposure, peer delinquency, and gang involvement; (5) sexual violence, youth violence, and bullying perpetration; (6) dating abuse perpetration; and (7) physical or sexual partner violence perpetration. The strongest association cluster occurred among sexual violence perpetration behaviors. Youth with high social support engaged in significantly fewer of the 40 prespecified risk behaviors (high social support median [interquartile range], 8 [5-12] behaviors vs low social support median [interquartile range], 10 [6-14] behaviors; mean difference, 1.64 behaviors; 95% CI, 0.63-2.64 behaviors; P = .004). High social support and natural mentoring were both inversely associated with gang involvement (social support: odds ratio [OR], 0.39; 95% CI, 0.22-0.71; and natural mentoring: OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.25-0.76) and sexual violence exposure (social support: OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.24-0.64; and natural mentoring: OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.39-0.98).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

These findings suggest that co-occurrence of risk and protective behaviors differ significantly among youth with vs without adult support. Violence prevention interventions designed to leverage adult support should address broader co-occurrence patterns.

Profiles of individual assets and mental health symptoms in at-risk early adolescents

INTRODUCTION

Few studies investigated the combined patterns of individual assets (e.g., social competence, positive identity) and mental health symptoms (MHS) in adolescents. This study examined the patterns of early adolescents' individual assets and MHS and whether identified patterns were associated with later adolescents' outcomes.

METHODS

Participants were 352 (164 boys, 188 girls) adolescents who were primarily African-American and from low socioeconomic status families, participating in a prospective study of the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure from birth in the Midwest United States. Individual assets, using the Developmental Assets Profile, and MHS, using the Youth Self-Report, were assessed at age 12. Substance use, via self-report and biologic assays, early (before age 15) sexual behaviors, and behavioral adjustment were assessed at age 15.

RESULTS

Latent profile analysis indicated four distinctive profiles: low assets with elevated MHS (P1, n = 54, 15.3%); adequate assets with thought and social problems (P2, n = 84, 23.9%); low assets without MHS (P3, n = 101, 28.7%); and high assets without MHS (P4, n = 113, 32.1%). Children in the profile with high assets without MHS (P4) were more likely to have a higher IQ and to be in a more optimal environment (higher parental monitoring and less family conflict) than those in other profiles. Although profiles with MHS were associated with adolescent risk behaviors, this relationship was more pronounced for girls than for boys.

CONCLUSIONS

Girls in the low assets with elevated MHS (P1) should be a primary concern for preventive intervention. Our study demonstrates the heterogeneity of individual patterns of adaptation and maladaptation.

Collective Efficacy as a Key Context in Neighborhood Support for Urban Youth

Neighborhood context, including the physical and social environment, has been implicated as important contributors to positive youth development. A transactional approach to neighborhood asserts that place and people are mutually constitutive; negative perceptions of place are intrinsically bound with negative portrayals of stigmatized groups, including youth. Adult perceptions of neighborhood youth may contribute to an increased sense of alienation and youth antisocial behavior. This study uses street-intercept interviews with adults (N = 408) to examine the relationship between neighborhood conditions and adult support for neighborhood youth. A path model was used to examine the direct and indirect relationship of neighborhood constructs (safety, aesthetic quality, and walkability) on adult support for neighborhood youth. Neighborhood aesthetic quality and the walking environment were directly associated with adult support for youth, whereas perceived safety was indirectly associated. Collective efficacy partially explained these relationships. Findings support theorized relationships between people and places; improvements to neighborhood physical environment may directly impact resident adults' perceptions of neighborhood young people.

Natural Mentoring, Academic Motivation, and Values Toward Education Among Latinx Adolescents

We examined the roles of relational and instrumental relationship quality with natural mentors and academic intrinsic motivation on Latinx adolescents' perceived economic values of education. Participants were 256 Latinx youth (M = 15.07 years old; 116 boys, 140 girls) who completed surveys in 9th and 10th grades. Path analyses indicated significant cross-sectional effects in 9th grade such that instrumental quality was associated with more perceived benefits of education, and relational quality was associated with fewer perceived limitations of education. Neither instrumental nor relational quality in 9th grade was associated with either benefits or limitations of education in 10th grade. Instrumental relationship quality in 9th grade, however, did have an indirect effect on perceived benefits of education in 10th grade through intrinsic motivation. Implications for research on natural mentoring with Latinx adolescents are discussed.