Natural Mentoring Research Articles

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

In this meta‐analytic review, we examined the relation between natural mentoring and youth outcomes in four domains: academic and vocational functioning, social‐emotional development, physical health, and psychosocial problems. Natural mentoring relationships are thought to foster positive youth development and buffer against the risks associated with the tumultuous years of adolescence. Two separate meta‐analyses were conducted on the presence of a natural mentor and the quality of the natural mentoring relationship, including thirty studies from 1992 to present. The findings indicated that the presence of a natural mentor was significantly associated with positive youth outcomes (r = .106). A larger effect size was found for the quality of the natural mentoring relationship in terms of relatedness, social support, and autonomy support (r = .208). The largest effect sizes were found for social‐emotional development and academic and vocational functioning. Risk‐status (e.g., teenage mothers, homeless youth, youth in foster care, and youth of alcoholic parents) did not moderate the relation between presence and quality of natural mentoring relationships and youth outcomes, which may indicate that natural mentors are generally beneficial for all youth regardless of risk‐status. Implications for theory and practice concerning the quality of the natural mentoring relationship are discussed.

How Economic Disadvantage Affects the Availability and Nature of Mentoring Relationships During the Transition to Adulthood.

Supportive nonparental adults, particularly nonfamilial adults, provide critical support during the transition to adulthood, opening doors to educational and career paths. This study examined whether economic disadvantage shapes access to these relationships. Results showed that low-income adolescents had reduced access to naturally occurring mentors, and the relationships they did form tended to be close bonds with family and friends, rather than nonfamilial adults. Their mentors were more likely to focus on practical support, and less likely to serve as role models or provide career advice. These effects of socioeconomic status on natural mentoring relationships remained evident, even when accounting for youth race/ethnicity. Findings suggest that networks of support differ depending on a youth's socioeconomic context in ways that could perpetuate social and economic inequalities.

Positive youth development and adolescent eating disorder symptomatology: The role of natural mentors

AbstractNatural mentoring relationships have been linked to diverse outcomes in youth; however, little research has examined the role of natural mentors in adolescent eating disorder symptomatology. The present study applied a strength‐based, positive youth development (PYD) perspective to examine the cross‐sectional relations among disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, PYD, and natural mentoring relationships. We used data from 975 9th‐grade youth (61.1% female; meanage = 15.01, standard deviation = 0.73) who participated in the 4‐H Study of PYD. Natural mentoring relationships had a differential association with outcomes based on youth sex. Natural mentors were linked to higher levels of PYD in both males and females, but these relationships were more strongly linked to eating disorder symptomatology and PYD in males. Having a natural mentor predicted significantly lower body dissatisfaction in males, but not in females. Natural mentoring relationships did buffer the relation between drive for thinness symptoms and PYD in females. The present study provides evidence for the benefits natural mentors may provide to youth reporting disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. The findings suggest taking an ecological approach to eating disorder symptomatology and ways youth–adult partnerships can be leveraged or nurtured to promote positive and healthy development.

Factors contributing to the retention of natural mentors among underrepresented students across the first year of college

The current study examined characteristics of natural mentoring relationships (NMRs; i.e. mentoring relationships that develop organically with adults in one’s pre-existing social network) among underrepresented college students as contributors to NMR retention across the first year of college. The sample consisted of 209 underrepresented college students (73% female; mean age = 18.1, SD = .35) who reported having a natural mentor during the first semester of college. Each participant could report up to five natural mentors and a total of 550 NMRs were reported. We found that more frequent contact and greater relational closeness with natural mentors during the Fall semester of mentees’ first year of college increased the likelihood that NMRs were retained through the Spring semester of the first year. These findings shed light on aspects of NMRs that may be most central to fostering their duration during difficult transitional spaces.

PROTOCOL: Electronic mentoring to promote positive youth outcomes for young people under 25: a systematic review.

PROTOCOL: Electronic mentoring to promote positive youth outcomes for young people under 25: a systematic review.

Appraisal Support from Natural Mentors, Self-worth, and Psychological Distress: Examining the Experiences of Underrepresented Students Transitioning Through College.

The current study explored whether cumulative appraisal support from as many as five natural mentors (i.e., nonparental adults from youth's pre-existing social networks who serve a mentoring role in youth's lives) led to reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety via improved global self-worth among underrepresented college students. Participants in the current study included 340 college students (69% female) attending a 4-year, predominantly White institution of higher education. Participants were first-generation college students, students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, and/or students from underrepresented racial/ethnic minority groups. Participants completed surveys during the Fall and Spring of their first year of college and in the Spring of their second and third years of college. Results of the structural equation model (including gender, race/ethnicity, and extraversion as covariates) indicated that greater total appraisal support from natural mentoring relationships predicted decreases in students' psychological distress via increases in self-worth (indirect effects assessed via boot-strapped confidence intervals; 95% CI). The strength of association between appraisal support and self-worth was not moderated by the proportion of academic natural mentors. Findings from the current study extend previous research by measuring multiple natural mentoring relationships and pinpointing supportive exchanges that may be of particular consequence for the promotion of healthy youth development. Institutional efforts to reinforce pre-existing natural mentoring relationships and encourage the onset of new natural mentoring relationships may serve to bolster the well-being and success of underrepresented students attending predominantly White universities.

Natural Mentors, Social Class, and College Success.

Natural mentors provide advice, moral support, and assistance to adolescents who aspire to obtain a postsecondary degree, but past studies of the benefits of having an informal adult mentor have yet to resolve several issues. Our analyses of a national sample of high school graduates test three hypotheses: (H1) natural mentoring increases the odds of college attendance and completion, (H2) guidance and career advice are more important for college success than encouragement or role modeling, and (H3) students from poor and working-class families benefit more from mentoring than students from middle- and upper-class families. Hypotheses 1 and 3 are clearly supported when examining the odds of attending college, while Hypothesis 2 was not supported-encouragement and role modeling boost attendance, not advice or practical help. None of the hypotheses is supported when predicting degree completion among those who matriculated. As natural mentors do not appreciably increase the odds of completing college, we conclude past studies have overstated the postsecondary educational benefits of natural mentors.

“I Didn’t Come to School for This”: A Qualitative Examination of Experiences With Race-Related Stressors and Coping Responses Among Black Students Attending a Predominantly White Institution

Exposure to race-related stressors such as discrimination may take a toll on Black undergraduates attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs) who must contend with these stressors in addition to stressors common to the developmental space of emerging adulthood and the transition to college. The aim of this study was to explore Black students’ experiences of race-related stressors, coping responses, and the role of natural mentors (i.e., nonparental adults from students’ preexisting social networks who serve a mentoring role in students’ lives) in the coping process. We conducted semi-structured interviews with Black college students ( n = 12) at a PWI and their natural mentors ( n = 10) with whom they discussed issues related to race. Thematic analysis of data indicated that Black students faced a number of race-related stressors yet employed a set of coping responses including processing the event on one’s own, talking about it with others, and engaging in behavioral strategies such as working harder in school in an effort to disprove negative stereotypes. Findings reflected intentional socialization processes in regard to coping with race-related stressors. We discuss trade-offs associated with identified coping responses and the need for institutional efforts to reduce race-related stressors and foster more inclusive campus environments.

The predictors of perceived social support among former foster youth

Based on a 5-wave panel survey of 732 foster youth, the current study examined the respective relationships between foster youths' individual characteristics, youths' social connections with individuals and formal institutions, and the development of perceived social support across the transition to adulthood. Several youth characteristics – including self-reported delinquency and attachment insecurity – were found to be statistically significantly associated with perceived social support. Attachment insecurity also appeared to mediate the relationships between social support and several other youth-level characteristics, including prior placement disruptions and placement with relatives. Social connections with different types of individuals – including caregivers, relatives, natural mentors, and romantic partners – were found to be associated with additive increases in perceived social support. However, some types of connections (e.g., romantic partners, natural mentors) appeared to be associated with much larger increases in social support than other connections (e.g., school or employment). Collectively, the findings help inform agencies' efforts to bolster foster youths' social connections as they transition to adulthood.

Psychosocial profiles of youth who acquire a natural mentor during a school year

ABSTRACTYouth who form bonds with supportive, nonparent adults within their existing social networks (i.e., natural mentors) experience a range of positive outcomes, but a relatively minimal amount is known regarding the psychosocial factors that prospectively predict the formation of natural mentoring relationships. Analyzing longitudinal youth data from the waitlist control group of a formal mentoring intervention, the current study investigates the psychosocial factors that predict the acquisition of natural mentoring relationships. Of youth who reported not having a natural mentor at baseline (n = 193), ages 9 to 16 (M = 11.20, SD = 1.61), 46.1% acquired a natural mentor over a school year. A significant interaction between stress (i.e., the number of recent stressful life events) and prosocial peer engagement predicted the acquisition of a natural mentor. At low levels of stress, prosocial peer engagement significantly predicted a lower likelihood of acquiring a natural mentor. This negative association became less strong with increasing stress levels. These findings highlight the importance of addressing interactions among personal and contextual factors when examining natural mentorship. The current and future investigations of naturally occurring mentoring relationships can inform the development of community-based and contextually relevant mentoring interventions.

Predictors of natural mentoring relationships among former foster youth

Based on a panel survey of 683 foster youth, the current study examined the respective relationships between the characteristics of former foster youth and various attributes of natural mentoring relationships, including the (1) likelihood that youth have a natural mentor, (2) relationship role (e.g., family member, non-family acquaintance) of mentors vis-à-vis youth, (3) frequency of contact between youth and natural mentors, and (4) emotional closeness of the youth-mentor relationship. Study results suggest that a combination of factors, including youths' social-emotional competencies and participation in social institutions (e.g., religious or service organizations) play very different roles in the development and maintenance of positive natural mentoring relationships. Collectively, the findings suggest several potentially important implications for foster youth and natural mentoring policy, practice, and research.

A Facilitated Natural Mentoring Program

A Facilitated Natural Mentoring Program

Natural Mentoring Relationships as a Protective Factor for Victims of Bullying

ABSTRACTSchool bullying is associated with a host of unfavorable psychosocial outcomes, even as victims enter college. Thus, the identification of modifiable protective factors remains an important goal of psychological research in the context of resilience theory. The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effect of natural mentoring relationships (NMRs) on the association between peer victimization and college adjustment. Participants were 239 undergraduate students from a rural Midwestern university. Results indicated that higher levels of past peer victimization were associated with higher levels of depression and interpersonal problems. The presence of NMRs moderated the relationship between past peer victimization and interpersonal problems. Though further study is necessary, NMRs among school-aged students who experience bullying may be beneficial.

Mentoring During the Transition from Care to Prevent Depression: Care Leavers’ Perspectives

A small-scale consultation of care leavers in South London was undertaken in 2013–2014, in order to inform a pilot mentoring scheme to reduce depression in young women through supporting their transition from care to independence. Research on the social factors implicated in the onset and course of depression indicates that social support during stressful events can be protective. Youth mentoring is now widely offered to disadvantaged young people. This paper examines what some young people told us about if and how our proposed mentoring intervention might help in maintaining their well-being through the stress of leaving care.Eleven participants of focus group discussions told us they could see clear benefits in receiving mentoring at this time, and discussed the kind of mentor and activities they might like. However, most did not want a mentor now. Thematic analysis of the discussions arising identified unpaid, open-ended ‘natural mentoring’ relationships as particularly important to them in maintaining their well-being. We consider the fit with related research, and emerging new policy, and the implications for our proposed study, and conclude that supporting the establishment and continuation of natural mentoring is a particularly promising way forward.

Constellations of social support among underrepresented college students: Associations with mental health

ABSTRACTStudents from underrepresented groups are increasingly enrolling in 4-year institutions, yet they may face additional stressors upon entering college compared to majority peers. Supportive relationships with peers, parents, and natural mentors may foster successful adjustment to college among such students. The current study examined patterns of social support among 340 underrepresented first-year students at an elite, predominantly White, public university. Latent profile analysis was used to characterize support networks. Four profiles of support emerged: Average Frequency Support (AFS), Higher Frequency Support (HFS), Lower Frequency Support (LFS), and Compensatory Mentor Support (CMS). Participants in the HFS profile started college with the highest levels of psychological distress and also demonstrated the greatest improvements in mental health. Results suggest that the most vulnerable students may require greater support to have a psychologically healthy transition to college.

Prosocial Activities and Natural Mentoring Among Youth at Risk of Aging Out of Foster Care

AbstractObjective: Research suggests that the presence of natural mentors may ameliorate the risk associated with emancipating from foster care, though only half of foster youth have natural mentors. This study investigated the extent to which involvement in prosocial activities is associated with natural mentoring among youth at risk of emancipation. Method: Using data from the Multi-Site Evaluation of Foster Youth Programs, we applied multinomial logistic regression to test the association between involvement in prosocial activities and natural mentoring among 720 foster youths, ages 14–17, who were at risk of emancipation. Results: Controlling for demographic and child-welfare characteristics, foster-youth participation in hobbies/activities decreased the likelihood of having no natural mentors and no supportive adults by 57%, having only formal mentors by 60%, and having only foster parents by 49%. Participation in organizations/clubs decreased the likelihood of having no natural mentors and no suppor...

Development, Feasibility, and Piloting of a Novel Natural Mentoring Intervention for Older Youth in Foster Care

ABSTRACTAging out of foster care is associated with deleterious emerging adulthood outcomes. The enduring presence of a caring adult, such as a natural mentor, can improve outcomes for emancipating foster youth. Caring Adults ‘R’ Everywhere (C.A.R.E.) is a novel, child welfare-based intervention designed to facilitate natural mentor relationships among aging-out youth. Our aims were to test the feasibility of implementing C.A.R.E. and the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled study with older foster youth. Twenty-four foster youth aged 18–20.5 years were recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 12) or control groups (n = 12). Ten natural mentors were identified and contacted for participation in the intervention and study. Process-oriented qualitative data and quantitative pre- and postintervention outcome data were collected and analyzed. Utilizing a controlled rigorous design, the findings highlight the positive experience of both the intervention youth and their natural mentors with C.A.R.E. Overall, results support the continued refinement, delivery, and rigorous testing of C.A.R.E. with great promise for programmatically supporting natural mentor relationships among youth aging out of foster care.

Natural Mentors, Racial Pride, and Academic Engagement Among Black Adolescents: Resilience in the Context of Perceived Discrimination.

The current study examined the potential of relational closeness in the natural mentoring relationships (NMRs) of Black students to counter and protect against the noxious effects of school-based discrimination on academic engagement. The study sample included 663 Black students between the ages of 12 and 19 (M = 14.96 years, SD = 1.81 years), all reporting a natural mentor. Approximately half of participants were female (53%). Participants were recruited from three different school districts in a Midwestern metropolitan area. Findings indicated that perceived school-based discrimination was negatively associated with academic engagement. Relational closeness in NMRs countered, but did not protect against, the negative effects of perceived school-based discrimination on students' academic engagement. Additional analyses indicated that one mechanism through which relational closeness in NMRs may promote greater academic engagement among Black students is via increased racial pride. Results highlight the potential of NMRs to counter messages of inferiority communicated through discriminatory experiences in the school. Fostering relational closeness between Black students and supportive non-parental adults in their lives may be an effective strategy to boost academic achievement among Black youth experiencing discrimination in the school environment. In addition to fostering stronger bonds with natural mentors, strategic efforts to reduce school-based discrimination are needed to truly bolster the academic success of Black youth.

A FIRST LOOK AT NATURAL MENTORING AMONG PREADOLESCENT FOSTER CHILDREN

This study describes natural mentoring among preadolescent children placed in out‐of‐home care and examines the association between natural mentoring and demographic, maltreatment, placement, and psychosocial characteristics. Cross‐sectional data from a sample of 263 children and their out‐of‐home caregivers were analyzed. Caregivers rated children's social skills, and children reported on their perceived opportunities and attachment to peers and adults, including natural mentors. About half the sample endorsed having natural mentors, with school personnel being the most common type of mentor. Children with natural mentors were older, more likely to be living in congregate care, and had stronger attachment to friends. Marginally significant findings suggested that children with natural mentors had been in out‐of‐home care for fewer months, and children who were sexually abused were less likely to have natural mentors with whom they had current contact. Future research is needed that examines the longitudinal course of natural mentoring among this population.

Natural Mentoring Relationships and the Adjustment to College among Underrepresented Students.

This study investigated associations between natural mentoring relationships and academic performance via psychological distress among underrepresented college students attending an elite predominantly White institution (PWI). Specifically, this study explored whether the quantity of natural mentors possessed upon college entry, the retention of natural mentors across the first year of college, and overall changes in the number of natural mentors possessed during the first year of college predicted improvements in students' semester grade point averages (GPAs) via reductions in psychological distress. Participants in this study included 336 first-year undergraduate students attending a selective PWI. Students were eligible to participate in this study if they were first-generation college students, students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, or students from underrepresented racial/ethnic minority groups. Results of this study indicated that a greater number of retained natural mentoring relationships across the first year of college were associated with improvements in students' GPAs via reductions in symptoms of depression from the Fall to Spring semester. The results of this study suggest that institutional efforts to support the maintenance of preexisting mentoring relationships may be an effective approach to promoting the academic success of underrepresented college students during the first year of college.