Youth Initiated Mentoring: A Meta-analytic Study of a Hybrid Approach to Youth Mentoring

It takes a safe village to raise a child-a commentary on Dana McCoy et al. (2023)

This commentary on the study by McCoy et al. (2023) examining the negative effects of neighborhood violence on the development of toddlers growing up in the city of São Paulo (Brazil) interprets these outcomes from the perspective of ecological system theory, modern brain research, and the prospect of resilience. We argue that societies should give children the opportunity to grow up in a safe and sufficiently affluent social environment in order to give them a chance to achieve their full developmental potential. Governments and the health care system should, therefore, first and foremost invest in safe and stimulating child-rearing environments, informed by scientific research.

Effectiveness, working mechanisms, and implementation of youth-initiated mentoring for juvenile delinquents: a multiple-methods study protocol

BACKGROUND

The societal costs associated with juvenile delinquency and reoffending are high, emphasising the need for effective prevention strategies. A promising approach is Youth-Initiated Mentoring (YIM). In YIM, professionals support youths in selecting a non-parental adult from within their social network as their mentor. However, until now, little (quasi-)experimental research has been conducted on YIM in the field of juvenile delinquency. We will examine the effectiveness, working mechanisms, and implementation of YIM as a selective prevention strategy for juvenile delinquents.

METHODS

This multiple-methods study consists of a quasi-experimental trial and a qualitative study. In the quasi-experimental trial, we aim to include 300 juvenile offenders referred to Halt, a Dutch juvenile justice system organisation which offers youths a diversion program. In the Netherlands, all juvenile offenders between 12 and 18 years old are referred to Halt, where they must complete the Halt intervention. Youths will be non-randomly assigned to region-matched non-YIM-trained and YIM-trained Halt professionals implementing Care as Usual (CAU, i.e., the Halt intervention) or CAU plus YIM, respectively. Despite non-random allocation, this approach may yield comparable conditions regarding (1) the characteristics of professionals delivering the intervention and (2) case type and severity. Youth and caregiver(s) self-report data will be collected at pre-and post-test and a 6-month follow-up and complemented with official Halt records data. Multilevel analyses will test whether youths following CAU plus YIM show a stronger increase in resilience factors and a stronger decline in the need for formal support and delinquency than youths following CAU. In the qualitative study, we will organise focus group interviews with YIM-trained professionals to explore boosters and barriers experienced by professionals during the implementation of YIM.

DISCUSSION

The proposed study will help identify the effectiveness of YIM in strengthening resilience factors and possibly decreasing juvenile delinquency. In addition, it may offer insights into how and for whom YIM works. Finally, this study can help strengthen the implementation of YIM in the future.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.Gov (# NCT05555472). Registered 7 September 2022. https://www.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov/ct2/show/NCT05555472?cond=Youth+Initiated+Mentoring&draw=2&rank=1 .

Effectiveness of a multidisciplinary treatment with youth-initiated mentoring for youths with mental health needs from multi-problem families: a quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND

Children from multi-problem families have an increased risk for experiencing mental health problems. These families face problems in several domains that are often found to be chronic and intergenerational. Yet, the effects of mental health care for youths from multi-problem families are small at best, urging research on new treatment programs. The InConnection approach is an integrated care program to improve resilience of youths with mental health needs from multi-problem families by connecting professional expertise from multiple disciplines with the informal social network of the youth. Youths are asked to nominate a youth-initiated mentor (YIM) from the supportive adults in their network.

METHODS

This quasi-experimental study compared the effectiveness of the InConnection approach to treatment as usual in a sample of 107 families (n = 66 intervention group, n = 41 control group) with n = 115 youths receiving treatment (cases). Youths (n = 102 reports, Mage = 15.59 years), parents (n = 85 reports) and case managers (n = 107 reports) responded to questionnaires four times over 15 months. Using these data, we measured youth resilience as the primary outcome, seven secondary outcomes, and three intermediate outcomes.

RESULTS

Latent growth models showed only one significant change in outcomes over time across conditions, namely a decrease in case manager-reported child unsafety, and only two condition effects, which were both parent-reported. Parents in the InConnection group reported improvements over time in youth's emotional and behavioral problems and their own positive parenting, whereas control parents reported no changes (ps ≤ 0.013).

DISCUSSION

The treatment conditions were not effective in improving most of the youth and parental outcomes over time, except for child safety reported by the case manager. The InConnection approach only outperformed care as usual on two parent-reported outcomes. Future research should examine for whom and under what circumstances the InConnection approach works more convincingly.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Netherlands Trial Register NL7565. Retrospectively registered on 05/03/2019.

"It's going to help me in life": Forms, sources, and functions of social support for youth in natural mentoring relationships

Social support is associated with positive physical and psychological health outcomes for youth. We took a qualitative approach to examine the sources, forms, and functions of social support youth receive from natural mentoring relationships in their lives. Based on in-depth interviews with 40 adolescents participating in a study of youth-adult relationships and natural mentoring processes, we found that (1) different types of adults had the capacity to provide different types of support and were likely to provide overlapping supports; (2) emotional, informational, and instrumental support qualitatively differed depending on the adult's role (e.g., teacher), while companionship and validation were consistent across adults; and (3) youth were able to identify benefits attached to the social support received from adults. Our findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of aspects and characteristics of effective youth-adult mentoring processes and call for fuller assessments of social support in youths' lives so we may better meet their developmental needs.

Unlocking the transformative power of mentoring for youth development in communities, schools, and talent domains

Mentoring is a highly individualized educational measure that can support youth development in communities, schools, and talent domains. Depending on the target population, goals, structure, and medium, mentoring for youths can differ considerably. This article first reviews the main types of mentoring programs and practices for youth development in communities, schools, and talent domains. Despite the popularity of mentoring programs, many programs fail to realize the full potential of mentoring as meta-analyses consistently show relatively small effects of mentoring. The discrepancy between the potential and actual effect of mentoring is referred to as the mentoring paradox. Crucial aspects that are held responsible for the mentoring paradox, such as adequate planning and implementation of mentoring programs, adherence to research-based mentoring practices, as well as quality assurance of mentoring programs through systematic program research and evaluation are described. Finally, implications on how to professionalize mentoring are provided for different stakeholders.

Informal mentoring support as a potential moderator of the relation between adolescent dating violence victimization and substance use

Research links adolescent dating violence (ADV) victimization to negative developmental outcomes, including involvement in substance use. Informal mentoring is associated with several positive outcomes, including reduced risk of substance use. Addressed in this study is whether support from an informal mentor can function to protect victims of ADV from involvement in substance use. Participants were 152 adolescents (grades 9-12). Findings revealed a significant association between ADV victimization and adolescents' involvement in substance use, as well as some evidence that support from an informal mentor moderates that link. When informal mentor support was low or at the mean, ADV victimization was significantly linked to adolescents' involvement in substance use; when informal mentor support was high, ADV victimization was unrelated to substance use involvement. Discussed are research and practice implications of the potential protective role of informal mentors for victims of ADV.

Resilience, well-being and informal and formal support in multi-problem families during the Covid-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The Covid-19 pandemic may have had negative effects on youth and parental mental health, especially in high-risk populations such as multi-problem families (i.e., families that experience problems in multiple domains, such as mental health and social network problems). Using one to four assessments during all phases of the Covid-19 pandemic up until January 2022, we examined the associations between pandemic-related stress and mental health (resilience and well-being) of youth and parents from multi-problem families. We also investigated whether experienced informal (i.e., youth informal mentoring) and formal support (i.e., therapist support) served as protective factors in this association.

METHODS

A total of 92 youth aged 10-19 years (46.7% girls; mean age 16.00 years) and 78 parents (79.5% female; mean age 47.17 years) filled in one to four questionnaires between March 2020 and January 2022. Multi-level analyses were conducted to account for the nested structure of the data.

RESULTS

For youth, pandemic-related stress was associated with lower well-being, but not with resilience. Perceived support from both mentors and therapists was positively associated with youth mental health. Furthermore, high perceived therapist support protected youth from the negative effect of pandemic-related stress on resilience. For parents, pandemic-related stress was not related to mental health, irrespective of therapist support. Yet, therapist support was directly and positively associated with parental mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

Youth from multi-problem families who experience pandemic-related stress are at risk of (elevated) mental health problems during the pandemic, specifically if they have no or weak therapist support. The mental health of parents, however, was minimally affected by pandemic-related stress, indicating strength and flexibility. Youth and parents who experienced support during the pandemic reported higher levels of resilience and well-being, demonstrating the importance of support for individuals' mental health during stressful times such as a pandemic.

What makes Dutch youth comply with preventive COVID-19 measures? An explorative study

The measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 are challenging for youth, especially the social isolation measures. These measures are antagonistic to healthy youth development, which requires sufficient social contact with peers and adults. This explorative study examined what factors are associated with adherence to COVID-19 measures in a sample of Dutch youth (N = 263; 79.8% female) with ages ranging between 16 and 24 years (M = 21.1 years; SD = 2.44 years), who completed an online questionnaire about their compliance to measures, resilience, coping strategies, mental health, and availability of a natural mentor. Results showed that youth with fewer depressive symptoms adhered better to measures of social distance. Youth who were less suspicious, more resilient, and those with an active coping strategy or a natural mentor more often complied with COVID-19 measures. These results can be used to help youth comply with the COVID-19 measures.

Non-parental Adults and Sexual Health Behaviors Among Young Minority Men: A Qualitative Examination

Young Black and Latino sexual minority men (YBLSM) exhibit disproportionately high rates of negative sexual health outcomes, including HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, compared to other groups, partly due to relatively higher rates of exposure to a host of socio-structural risk factors (e.g., unstable housing and under-employment). However, an under-studied interpersonal resource exists for many YBLSM, non-parental adults (NPAs, i.e., adults who act as role models and provide social support), who may be able to influence contextual (e.g., unemployment) and individual (e.g., reduced health expectations) factors underlying sexual health disparities.

Aims: This study sought to examine the role of NPAs in factors that affect sexual health behaviors and in supporting those health behaviors directly, among YBLSM living in a mid-sized city in the southern United States. A total of n=20 participants, n=10 YBLSM (ages 16 to 22), and n=10 NPAs (ages 26 to 52) were interviewed using semi-structured guides to examine NPA involvement in the lives of YBLSM from both sides of the relationship. The research team used a framework analysis approach to iteratively identify and define meaningful codes and sub-codes. Both YBLSM and NPAs described NPAs helping YBLSM through role modeling and social support in a variety of areas found to affect sexual health behaviors, such as housing instability and psychological distress, as well as in specific behaviors, such as condom use and HIV medication adherence. Given the multiple socio-structural obstacles facing YBLSM and their multifaceted relationships with NPAs, NPAs may be a promising resource to help address these impediments to health. Partnering more intentionally with NPAs is a potentially promising strategy to help reduce HIV-related disparities affecting YBLSM that is worthy of additional empirical attention.

Program staff perspectives on implementing youth-initiated mentoring with systems-involved youth

Youth-initiated mentoring (YIM) is an approach to mentor recruitment that represents a significant departure from how formal mentoring typically has been conceptualized and carried out, most notably by having youth identify their own mentors. Despite enthusiasm for YIM, implementation can require significant shifts in program practices. Given the limited resources with which most mentoring programs have to work, it is important to discern staff investment in YIM and what it takes for programs to implement this approach. This study explored YIM implementation at the organizational level through interviews with mentoring program staff (n = 11) and addressed motivations of mentoring program staff to implement YIM, how their programs implemented this approach, and their perceptions of the facilitators and barriers to successful YIM implementation.

Mentoring during the COVID-19 pandemic: a perspective from graduate students in biomedical science studies in India

Mentorship transforms careers. Yet, a lack of awareness of the need for a mentor is ironically, a pandemic. The pandemic has brought a host of challenges for the academic researcher. As bench work has come to a standstill, there is not just reduced productivity, but a significant increase in fear, anxiety, and depression amongst students. Our survey of -150 graduate students of Life Sciences courses confirmed the anecdotal observation that > 75% did not have a mentor other than their academic guide. Over the past six months, we have been exploring the requirements of mentee-mentor relationships during both normal times and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Written primarily from the mentee perspective, we have described the (i) criteria and roles of an ideal mentor and mentee, (ii) the problems faced by the mentee, and (iii) the solutions to address these challenges. We have described the experience of 10 mentees with a mentor during these challenging times, in which we discussed scientific, psychological, and practical support for each other. We provide some recommendations based on previous work in mentor–mentee interactions and explore the critical nature of this delicate relationship for a successful career.