Mentoring in Denmark: Evidence for the Importance of a Year-Long Bond

Damm, A. P., von Essen, E., Jensen, A. J., Kerrn-Jespersen, F., & van Mastrigt, S. (2022). Duration of mentoring relationship predicts child well-being: Evidence from a Danish community-based mentoring program. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(5), 2906. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19052906

Introduction

Community-based youth mentoring programs have long been credited with supporting child development, yet little is known about how these benefits translate to contexts with robust social support systems. An example is the Nordic welfare states, where the profile of mentored youth may differ significantly from high-risk populations commonly studied elsewhere.

Damm and colleagues (2022) investigate whether the duration of a mentoring relationship predicts parent-reported child well-being among Danish children participating in Children’s Adult Friends (CAF), Denmark’s largest voluntary mentoring program which support youth with relatively lower risk profiles.

Methods

The study analyzed parent surveys from 197 Danish CAF families, divided into groups: waiting list, 1-6 months matched, 7-11 months matched, and ≥12 months matched. Measures included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM), and the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC), assessing internalizing/externalizing behavior, resilience, and perceived competencies. Multivariate regressions controlled for demographics and socioeconomic background, testing linear and categorical effects of match duration.

Results

Children mentored for at least a year showed significantly lower internalizing problems and reduced negative impacts of behavioral difficulties, particularly for girls’ emotional stability. Year-long matches also had significantly higher resilience and perceived athletic/social competencies. No significant differences were found for externalizing behavior or academic competencies, and matches shorter than 12 months showed no significant benefits compared to the waiting list.

Discussion

These findings extend evidence for the benefits of mentoring duration to the Nordic welfare system, where CAF supports lower-risk youth with elevated internalizing/externalizing difficulties (though comparable social strengths to norms).

A one-year minimum appears crucial for developing impactful, trusting mentor-mentee bonds that support emotional and social development. Limitations include a low response rate and parent-reported data, though the similar demographics of the comparison group strengthen the observed associations.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

Mentoring programs should prioritize long-term mentor commitment (at least one year), and screen volunteers accordingly. Training should emphasize consistency, as trust takes time to develop. Structured support throughout the year is important to maintain and deepen relationships. Even for non-acute cases, sustained mentorship demonstrably improves resilience, emotional well-being, and social development.

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