Increasing resilience among LGBTQ youth: The protective role of natural mentors.

Sulimani-Aidan, Y., Shilo, G., & Paul, J.C. (2024). Increasing resilience among LGBTQ youth: The protective role of natural mentors. Children and Youth Services Review, 160, 107570. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107570  

Introduction

As LGBTQ youth face unique challenges, Sulimani-Aidan and colleagues (2024) explore how natural mentoring relationships can be a powerful antidote, fostering hope and resilience. The authors examine factors that contribute to hope among LGBTQ youth, with a focus on the role of natural mentors. They used the minority stress model, which emphasizes the unique stressors faced by LGBTQ youth, and the resilience perspective, which looks at the interplay of protective factors in the lives of young people.  

The authors hypothesized that mentor support would increase hope and buffer the negative impact of risk factors such as internalized homophobia and anti-LGBTQ harassment on the youth’s hope.  

Methods

Researchers conducted a web-based survey with 198 LGBTQ youth, aged 12-25, assessing hope, mentor support, risk factors, and personal characteristics. Risk factors included internalized homophobia, anti-LGBTQ harassment, level of outness, gender identity, and sexual orientation.  

Results

The study found that mentor support, especially mentors who promote autonomy, significantly increased hope among LGBTQ youth. Transgender youth reported lower hope levels than cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and questioning (LGBQ) youth. Mediation analysis indicated that mentor support helped to weaken the link between risk factors and lower levels of hope.  

Discussion

The authors concluded that it is important to consider both risk and protective factors when designing interventions for LGBTQ youth. Natural mentoring can be a protective factor that contributes to LGBTQ youth’s resilience. The study highlights the importance of fostering hope through social connections with mentors.  

Implications for Mentoring Programs

For mentoring programs, these findings suggest that mentors can act as role models, provide emotional support, and encourage autonomy, all of which are associated with increased hope in this population. Programs will want to consider specific ways to support mentors understand and respond to the unique contextual stress relevant for LGBTQ youth, and provide ongoing supervison to this end. 

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