“We Didn’t Have to Talk”: Adolescent Perception of Mentor–Mentee Relationships in an Evaluation Study of a Mentoring Program for Adolescents with Juvenile Diabetes

Abstract

The present article describes three one-year cycles of an evaluation study of a mentoring program for adolescents with juvenile diabetes. The aim of the program is to increase the adolescent’s cooperation and compliance with the demands of treatment. The study focuses on an attempt to understand the nature of the relationship formed between the adolescents and their mentors, from their perspective and feelings how this relationship helped them to cope with the numerous challenges posed by diabetes. The findings reveal three themes: main mentor–mentee relationship patterns, the central importance of the mentee’s observation of the mentor’s behavior, and the emotional effects of the encounter with the mentor. The discussion of the findings engages in understanding the dynamic of mentor–mentee relationships in the social-emotional world of adolescents with juvenile diabetes, and the relevance of these understandings for providing professional assistance.