The lived experiences of peer mentors with spinal cord injury (SCI) provide distinct value in the rehabilitation process and contribute to improved outcomes. When combined with traditional therapy, peer mentorship programs can enhance life satisfaction among individuals living with SCI. To explore the impact that peer-led mentorship programs and interventions have on the rehabilitation outcomes for individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI). PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, MedNar, and OpenGrey were searched between 2014 and 2024. The Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool was adapted and used to assess risk of bias in the included studies. Inclusion criteria included individuals with SCI who participated in peer mentorship and reported outcomes on quality of life, well-being, independence, or activities of daily living (ADLs) or instrumental ADLs. Exclusion criteria included interventions conducted via telehealth or reported outcomes of social participation. Five articles were analyzed for synthesis, which included individuals 18 yr and older with an SCI. Findings support peer mentorship as an important component of rehabilitation. Findings may have limited generalizability across different settings and populations because of the small number of available studies and variability in study designs, interventions, and outcome measures. None of the articles reviewed included occupational therapists. This review highlighted the benefits of peer mentorship in enhanced life satisfaction. Findings support peer mentorship as an important component of rehabilitation. Future research should examine the benefits of incorporating peer-led intervention programs across the continuum of care, including occupational therapy, in enhancing best practices in SCI rehabilitation. Plain-Language Summary: Peer mentorship programs can help people with spinal cord injuries adjust to daily life by providing guidance, support, and encouragement that professionals without lived experience may not offer. This review found that peer mentoring can improve psychological well-being and health management and reduce unplanned hospital visits. Evidence is limited because of the small number of studies and variations in study design; however, the results suggest that meaningful benefits may be present. Further research is needed to determine the most effective way to implement peer mentorship across rehabilitation settings.

College students face significant mental health and academic challenges and often struggle to navigate university resources. Students from marginalized backgrounds face additional barriers to help-seeking and are less likely to utilize campus services. Peer mentoring programs can help bridge this gap and are most effective when they are goal-focused. Technology can help scale these programs by offering mentee-mentor pairs a structured approach to setting goals and facilitating mentors' ability to provide targeted support. In this study, we explored a peer-mentoring platform that enabled incoming first-year college students to message their mentors and track goals. Goal setting was significantly associated with students' grade point average at the end of their first semester. After controlling for platform engagement, goal setting remained a significant predictor of self-efficacy and life satisfaction. Goal setting within peer mentoring relationships may serve as a brief, scalable intervention to promote academic success and well-being during the transition to college.

Exploring Motivation to Become a Peer Mentor Among Heart Transplant Recipients

Navigating substance use and recovery: Service provider insights on peer support for survivors of sex trafficking.

Healthcare assistants delivering home-based palliative and end-of-life care face complex emotional and clinical demands with limited workplace support. Peer support had been suggested as a potential solution, yet no reviews of such interventions exist. To understand and explain how, why, for whom and in what contexts workplace peer support interventions for healthcare assistants work (or do not work) in palliative and end-of-life care delivery at home. Realist review registered with PROSPERO (registration number CRD42024606133). CINAHL, MEDLINE, AMED, Scopus and grey literature with no date restrictions. Searches undertaken November-December 2024. All study designs containing data relevant to programme theory were included. Evidence was assessed for relevance, trustworthiness and rigour. Synthesis of 24 sources generated 12 context-intervention-mechanism-outcome configurations used to develop initial programme theory. Four workforce outcomes of intervention include: enhanced wellbeing and resilience, reduced loneliness and isolation, development of a sense of community of practice and strengthened role identity. Three intervention strategies: peer-facilitated group meetings, 24/7 peer support access, and informal peer mentorship, create psychologically safe spaces, where individuals feel validated, valued, connected with others, enabling social learning. The intervention elements align with the fulfilment of three basic psychological needs: competence, autonomy, and relatedness. The initial programme theory reveals peer support may address core workforce challenges through psychologically safe peer connections and social learning, aligning with fulfilment of basic psychological needs. It provides a foundation for designing and testing evidence-informed peer support interventions for this workforce.

Background: Occupational therapy (OT) in Spain faces challenges of limited visibility and professional integration, particularly for newly graduated therapists. Early years of practice are often marked by isolation and the absence of structured mentorship, hindering skill consolidation and professional identity. Peer mentorship has shown promise internationally as a supportive strategy, but formal programs in Spain remain scarce. This study protocol presents MenTOras , a pilot peer mentorship program designed to enhance professional integration, emotional well-being, and self-confidence among newly graduated occupational therapists in Aragón, Spain. Methods: A mixed-methods, quasi-experimental pilot study without a control group will be conducted. Around 20 mentor–mentee pairs will be recruited through the regional professional association. The program comprises six structured mentorship sessions across three phases: initiation, development, and closure. Data will be collected at baseline, post-program, and 6-month follow-up, including quantitative measures of integration, well-being, confidence, and satisfaction, complemented by qualitative interviews. Results: Findings will assess feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of the program, and identify mechanisms through which mentorship supports professional growth. Conclusion: MenTOras addresses a key gap in Spanish OT by providing a structured, context-sensitive mentorship model. Outcomes will inform future initiatives to strengthen retention, professional identity, and visibility within the healthcare system.

ABSTRACT Online peer e-mentoring can foster academic success, career readiness and well-being in undergraduate programs. Using a mixed method design that combines the Critical Incident Technique with automated text analytics, we coded 209 surveys and 149 reflective narratives from mentors and mentees enrolled in a sector specific Bachelor of Commerce degree program in Canada. Mentors highlighted leadership growth, psychological and emotional support, and role modeling, yet noted persistent engagement hurdles. Mentees shifted from seeking academic and career guidance to prioritizing emotional reassurance, while scheduling and technical issues were common challenges. These patterns refine peer mentorship frameworks for virtual contexts, indicating that targeted mentor training, precise goal alignment, and digital support may improve transition, retention, and inclusion for business students. The study advances peer mentoring research by linking quantitative incident metrics with automated text analytics in a sector specific, marketing related setting. The findings suggest that with guidance and adaptation, a transition to online peer-mentoring has the potential to be as effective as in-person mentoring.

ABSTRACT This article details the creation and execution of the First-Gen STEM Scholars Program at the University of Texas at San Antonio. To improve graduation rates among 3rd- and 4th-year, first-generation STEM majors with high financial need, this program integrates various support mechanisms, including an annual scholarship to support engagement in experiential learning, peer mentoring, faculty coaching, and career mentoring. Part of a broader strategy to minimize student debt, elevate graduation rates, and prioritize career-engaged, industry-aligned learning, the program supported 116 scholars over two years. This article highlights program outcomes, challenges faced, lessons learned, transferable principles of practice, strategies for industry partnership, and participant feedback.

ABSTRACT The transition into teacher education is a critical but understudied phase of psychological adjustment. This study examines the development of study-related stress among first-year student teachers using the Job Demands – Resources (JD-R) model. Based on three measurement waves, growth-curve modelling was applied to 620 student teachers (76% female, 23.2% male, 0.8% diverse; M age = 20.1). Stress followed a quadratic trajectory – high at entry, declining mid-year, and increasing again at year’s end. Cognitive and emotional strain predicted higher initial stress and steeper increases, whereas interest- and competence-based motives were associated with lower stress. The model explained nearly half of the variance in stress development. These findings extend the JD-R model to early teacher education by highlighting the role of psychological demands and personal resources. Practically, the findings suggest that structured onboarding, peer mentoring, and stress-management support may help reduce cognitive overload and strengthen adaptive motivation among first-year student teachers.

ABSTRACT We designed Passport to Wellness (PtW) to promote HIV/STI testing and prevention while addressing social determinants of health among Black sexual minority men (SMM). Over the course of a pilot study and small randomized controlled trial of PtW, we recruited and trained 10 Black SMM who implemented the intervention’s Peer Mentor component. We describe here the Mentors training and supervision, and how they articulated their strategies for participant engagement and their. Data stem from qualitative interviews that we thematically analyzed using a codebook approach. The Mentors described promoting trust and accountability while offering participants flexibility, encouragement, and support. Together with other intervention components and the Peer Mentor training, Mentors’ skills in building trust, laying groundwork for mutual accountability, accommodating mentees’ limitations, and providing appropriate support fostered effective interactions. Identifying individuals with lived experience who can embody these traits with the appropriate training and support may improve the effectiveness of prevention-focused peer interventions.

Peer-assisted learning in medical radiation sciences education and training: A scoping review.

ObjectivesSocial support interventions show promise for improving health, yet evidence regarding their effectiveness and optimal approaches remains limited. We aimed to examine social support intervention outcomes.DesignScoping review.Data sourcesPubMed/Medline, Elsevier EMBASE, NIBAHL and APA PsychInfo. The search was last conducted in October 2024.Eligibility criteriaIncluded studies reported the effects of interventions on the social support outcomes, mental health or physical health of adults with chronic health conditions or disabilities. Studies were excluded if interventions did not aim to build or strengthen sustainable social support or did not provide quantitative outcome data.Data extraction and synthesisWe extracted data on intervention characteristics, intervention elements and effect sizes. We synthesised effect sizes based on outcome type and intervention provider, then examined patterns in effect sizes.ResultsInterventions (n=110) were commonly delivered by peer mentors (35.1%) or mental health professionals (35.4%), primarily targeting emotional and informational support. There were small to moderate intervention effects. Skill-building interventions delivered by health professionals appeared more effective than peer-delivered interventions, but results were inconsistent across studies and there were still meaningful effects from peer mentorship.ConclusionsEffective interventions actively facilitated meaningful support by providing resources, assistance or health behaviour encouragement. Multicomponent interventions combining professional expertise with peer mentorship may optimise outcomes. Future research should further compare intervention components and formats and establish clear mechanisms linking social support improvements to health outcomes through larger-scale effectiveness trials.

Building a Career in a Hospice and Palliative Medicine Research: Advice for Early Investigators.

This study aims to examine how gender-based entrepreneurship education (GBEE) can support the inclusive and sustainable development of women’s creative economy in Jember Regency, East Java. The study employed a qualitative phenomenological approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis involving 12 participants, including women entrepreneurs, educators, policymakers, and academics. The data were analyzed thematically through data immersion, open coding, category development, and theme construction. The findings identify four main themes: (1) persistent gender barriers in entrepreneurship education, including sociocultural restrictions, gender-insensitive curricula, and limited access to resources; (2) adaptive pedagogical strategies integrating situated learning, peer mentoring, and digital literacy; (3) the use of local creative economy sectors—such as batik, coffee agro-tourism, culinary arts, and fashion—as culturally relevant learning platforms; and (4) empowerment outcomes, including increased economic autonomy, stronger social capital, and improved negotiation capacity. The study concludes that GBEE not only strengthens women’s entrepreneurial skills but also contributes to shifts in household and community power relations. Collaboration among universities, government, and civil society is essential to implement gender-responsive entrepreneurship education aligned with SDG 5 and SDG 8.

This review examines developments in training the psychiatric workforce to treat psychiatric conditions in college mental health. It provides helpful examples of training materials that can be utilized by psychiatrists to gain a better understanding of treating college students as they transition from child serving systems to adult models of care. Data from the 2024-2025 Healthy Minds Study indicates that more than 60% of students surveyed with positive depression or anxiety screens received treatment and nearly a third of students had taken at least one psychotropic medication in the past year. This same data indicated 50% of students have a mental health diagnosis yet only 18% stated that there were no barriers to receiving care. University presidents have also acknowledged this issue, responding to the "Campus Mental Health Crisis" as an institution-wide priority. Psychiatrists must be prepared to treat this growing need. College Mental Health Programs vary nationwide but demand for services continues to increase. Psychiatrists must recognize the unique attributes of students and be prepared to treat them utilizing a developmental perspective. Furthermore, there are systemic differences that exist in higher education compared to traditional ambulatory care models. Educating the workforce can be accomplished through curriculum, peer mentorship, and research, to ensure high quality care for this vulnerable population.

ABSTRACT Youth who experience interpersonal violence often struggle to access timely and culturally relevant mental health support. Group-based mental health interventions may expand access to care and enhance relevance of services. However, participants’ perspectives are needed to understand how group-based, peer-supported models may facilitate healing. Our objective was to describe recovery experiences of youth who engaged in a group-based, peer-supported mental health intervention after experiences of violence. We interviewed five youth about their experiences and perceived outcomes participating in and serving as peer mentors in a peer-supported group model embedded within a pediatric hospital-based violence intervention program. Using a modified grounded theory approach, we inductively coded interviews and generated themes. We constructed a phased model of resilience comprising healing after trauma, cultivating self-efficacy and developmental assets, and realizing empowerment. By centering experiences of youth, this study illustrates how group-based, peer-supported interventions can foster recovery, growth, and resilience after violence.

The rapid digital transformation of education has significantly altered the roles and responsibilities of school principals, requiring them to adopt digital leadership practices that support teachers’ professional growth and instructional innovation. Despite the increasing importance of digital leadership in educational settings, limited studies have explored how principals transform their leadership practices to enhance teachers’ professional competence, particularly in elementary schools. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the transformation of principals’ digital leadership in improving teachers’ professional competence in elementary school environments. Specifically, the study examined the forms of digital leadership transformation, the strategies employed by principals, the supporting and inhibiting factors influencing the transformation process, and its impact on teachers’ professional competence. This study employed a qualitative approach using a case study design. Data were collected through participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation analysis involving principals, teachers, and educational staff. The study was conducted from January to April 2026. Data were analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Saldaña, which includes data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings revealed that principals transformed digital leadership through the integration of digital communication platforms, Google Workspace, school social media, Interactive Flat Panel (IFP) technology, Chromebook-supported learning, Canva, CapCut, and the Ruang Belajar GTK platform. The transformation was further strengthened through collaborative professional learning communities, peer mentoring systems, technology-based supervision, and motivational leadership practices. Supporting factors included teachers’ willingness to learn, collaborative school culture, and principal support, while inhibiting factors comprised limited technological infrastructure, unequal digital competence, unstable internet connectivity, and administrative burdens. The transformation positively enhanced teachers’ digital literacy, instructional creativity, reflective teaching practices, communication competence, and continuous professional development. These findings imply that successful digital leadership transformation requires not only technological resources but also adaptive leadership, collaborative organizational culture, and sustained professional learning support.

ABSTRACT The challenges facing students in Higher Education are increasing. Peer mentoring can be used to support students, promote integration, and reduce drop-out, yet any peer-mentoring programme should meet the needs of students without replacing other forms of support. This project used two co-creation workshops to explore undergraduate student (N = 9) and staff (N = 4) values of academic and pastoral support, to inform the design of future peer mentoring programmes. Thematic analysis was conducted on the audio recordings of the workshops. Themes included issues impacting mentees and mentors, and the mechanics of peer mentoring. These align with past research; however, there was a clear emphasis on the wellbeing of the mentors, showing the importance of providing training and support for peer mentors. Co-creation gives a voice to students and staff and is an innovative way to approach peer mentoring. This method could be used to design future peer-mentoring programmes.

ABSTRACT This study used community-based participatory research (CBPR) to develop and evaluate a culturally tailored intervention for Chinese American dementia caregivers. A CBPR team of community stakeholders and researchers conducted needs assessments through 30 interviews and a survey (N=165). Findings informed the development of a peer mentoring program in which former caregivers supported current caregivers. A pilot study demonstrated high feasibility and potential benefits, including reduced loneliness and depression and enhanced mentor purpose. CBPR facilitated trust-building, cultural tailoring, and shared decision-making. Findings suggest CBPR can help gerontological social workers co-develop culturally relevant interventions and strengthen cultural competence through community engagement.

Youth with learning differences (e.g., specific learning disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) encounter exacerbated psychological and behavioral challenges compared to typically developing peers. Peer mentoring has been shown to be beneficial in addressing such challenges, yet there is limited research on online peer mentorship programs for this population. This study investigates the perceived benefits of an online peer mentoring program on mentees’ mental health, well-being, and behavior across 10 outcomes: anxiety, depression, fear, cognitive challenges, behavioral concerns, executive function, sleep difficulties, self-care, interpersonal skills, and self-esteem/self-confidence. Caregivers retrospectively reported on their child’s mental health, well-being, and behavior prior to and since receiving online mentorship. Results indicated significant caregiver-reported improvements across all outcomes following online mentorship. Interpretation of the findings is limited by the study’s retrospective design and absence of a control group. Overall, findings indicate an association between participation in online peer mentorship programs and improved caregiver-perceived outcomes, suggesting its potential as a supportive tool for youth with learning differences.