Research from Related Fields

A summary of research from psychology, sociology and other fields as it relates to youth mentoring.

Monitoring digital youth counseling interventions: Understanding the demographic profiles and outcome changes

Blackshaw, E., Sefi, A., Mindel, C., Maher, H., & De Ossorno Garcia, S. (2023). Digital mental health outcome monitoring for a structured text-based youth counselling intervention: Demographic profile and outcome change. Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, and Practice. https://doi.org/10.1111/papt.12461 Summarized by Ariel Ervin  Notes of Interest: Although the mental health needs of young people are increasing, a quarter […]

What are the benefits of being a peer mentor for Black and Hispanic high school students?

Opara, I., Metzger, I. W., Dawoud, S., Pierre, K., Assan, M. A., Garcia-Reid, P., & Reid, R. J. (2023). “It Makes Me Feel like I Can Make a Difference”: A Qualitative Exploration of Peer Mentoring with Black and Hispanic High School Students. Youth, 3(2), Article 2.  https://doi.org/10.3390/youth3020034 Summarized by Ariel Ervin  Notes of Interest: Although peer mentoring […]

New “mega-analysis” points to valuable role for mentors: Practicing skills with mentees

Christensen, K. M., Assink, M., van Dam, L., Stams, G.-J., Poon, C. Y. S., Astesano, J., & Rhodes, J. E. (2023). Youth interventions with and without supervised practice: A second-order meta-analysis. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-023-00921-4 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Many prevention interventions (e.g., psychotherapy and universal prevention programs) recently started transitioning […]

New review discusses how paraprofessional providers can expand school-based motivational interviewing

Hart, M. J., McQuillin, S. D., Iachini, A., Weist, M. D., Hills, K. J., & Cooper, D. K. (2023). Expanding school-based motivational interviewing through delivery by paraprofessional providers: A Preliminary Scoping Review. School Mental Health.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-023-09580-3 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Schools are a common source of mental health for youths with elevated […]

The messenger matters: New research shows peers better than teachers at academic motivation

Posted by Andy Henion “Why do I have to learn this?” is a common question among young adults. New research suggests an answer from their peers has more weight than one from their teachers. University students who received a rationale for why learning is important from people similar to them—in this case actors posing as young professionals—wrote […]

Room for improvement: New study suggests that the majority of kids don’t respond to depression treatment

Cuijpers, et al. (2023) The effects of psychological treatments of depression in children and adolescents on response, reliable change, and deterioration: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (2023) 32:177–192 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-021-01884-6 The Study Researchers conducted such  meta-analysis to examine children and adolescents’ response to of psychological treatments of depression , including clinically significant […]

New study shows how family social capital affects academic achievement

Oyefuga, E., & Shakeshaft, C. (2023). Social capital and the higher education academic achievement: Using cross-classified multilevel models to understanding the impact of society on educational outcomes. Youth & Society, 55(1), 163–183. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X211042912 Summarized by Megyn Jasman and Ariel Ervin  Notes of Interest:  Social capital refers to an individual’s network of relationships and how they, in turn, […]

Rejection Sensitivity: A Self-fulfilling Prophecy with important implications for mentoring

Downey, G., Freitas, A. L., Michaelis, B., & Khouri, H. (1998). The self-fulfilling prophecy in close relationships: Rejection sensitivity and rejection by romantic partners. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 545-560. Introduction: Research shows that people’s beliefs about their significant others (including expectations concerning rejection and acceptance) can influence the course of their relationships […]

Human support for digital mental health interventions: a promising approach

Werntz, A., Amado, S., Jasman, M., Ervin, A, & Rhodes, J. (2023). Providing human support for the use of digital mental health interventions: Systematic meta-review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25. https://www.jmir.org/2023/1/e42864 Summarized by Megyn Jasman Notes of Interest: Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) are popular because research has shown that many are effective. However, many […]

The importance of engagement for adolescents in afterschool programs

Sjogren, A. L., Zumbrunn, S., Broda, M., Bae, C. L., & Deutsch, N. L. (2022). Understanding afterschool engagement: Investigating developmental outcomes for adolescents. American Journal of Community Psychology, 69, 169– 182. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajcp.12554 Summarized by Charlotte Styron and Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Evidence suggests that participating in high-quality after-school programs promotes positive youth development & academic outcomes. […]