Mentoring as Mutual Growth: New Study Highlights Benefits for Adult Mentors

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Summarized by Mia Lamont

Lee, H., Salcedo, J., Chen, K., & Anderson, A. J. (2025). “This is Why We All Show Up: How Supporting Youth Cultivates Hope, Purpose, and Well-Being of Adult Mentors.” Journal of community psychology, 53(2), e23182. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.23182

Introduction

Mentoring programs have long been recognized for their role in fostering positive outcomes for youth mentees, yet the benefits for adult mentors remain less explored. While previous studies focus on the impact of mentoring on youth (DuBois et al., 2011; Raposa et al., 2019), there is growing recognition that mentorship is reciprocal, capable of influencing the social, emotional, and psychological well-being of their mentors as well. 

Methods

Utilizing the Relational Cultural Theory (RCT), a framework emphasizing the importance of fostering meaningful connections upon human development, authors Lee et al. (2025) explore the reciprocal nature of mentoring. They examined the lived experiences of eight adult mentors participating in the Young Women Empowered (Y-WE) Create summer youth program. All participants identified as women or gender-expansive individuals of color, aged 26 to 37, at varying levels of experience. The authors collected data through semi-structured focus groups, direct participant observations, and a member-checking process to ensure validity. 

The findings revealed four key themes:

  1. Cultivating Hope and Purpose through Affirming Mentor-Youth Connections – Mentors reported that meaningful, identity-affirming connections with youth strengthened their sense of purpose and hope. Witnessing the personal and creative growth of mentees provided mentors with a deepened commitment to mentorship and reinforced their belief in the importance of community-building.
  2. Creative Empowerment and Healing through Program Participation – The program’s emphasis on artistic expression and creative risk-taking not only benefited youth but also provided mentors with opportunities to engage in their own creative development. 
  3. Challenges in Supporting Youth’s Creative Vision – While the program structure encouraged mentors to learn alongside mentees, some mentors experienced stress when faced with technical challenges beyond their expertise. This tension highlighted the need for additional mentor training and clearer expectations around skill-sharing.
  4. Role Ambiguity within the Collaborative Mentoring Model – The expansive and flexible mentoring approach, while valuable, occasionally led to role uncertainty. Mentors were unsure of how much to intervene in facilitation or how best to balance providing support with allowing mentees to navigate challenges independently.

Discussion

The findings confirm that mentoring relationships are bidirectional and deeply influenced by shared authenticity, vulnerability, and mutual learning. Mentors in the study not only contributed to youth development but also experienced personal growth, increased self-awareness, and enhanced well-being as a result of their participation. Despite these positive outcomes, however, the study highlights challenges that mentoring programs must address, including role ambiguity and the need for clearer support structures. Providing additional training in creative facilitation, setting clear expectations, and fostering structured mentor-peer reflection sessions may mitigate these challenges.

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