Posts

Relationship-Building Behaviors: An Antidote to Loneliness

By Amanda Davis, Reprinted from the National Mentoring Resource Center Loneliness and social isolation have plagued young people in our society long before the COVID-19 pandemic. A national study conducted by Cigna in 2018 found that Gen Z was the loneliest generation in the U.S., with nearly 50% of young people surveyed reporting that they […]

New study provides insights on how youth mentoring can address youth social isolation & loneliness

Fallavollita, W. L., & Lyons, M. D. (2023). Social acceptance from peers and youth mentoring: Implications for addressing loneliness and social isolation. Journal of Community Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.23002 Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Due to increasing popularity, youth mentoring programs have more service delivery options (school-based mentoring, community-based mentoring, skill development mentoring, mentor-mentee relationships, etc.). Peer […]

The opportunities and pitfalls of increasing formal youth mentoring program efforts to address loneliness

Keller, T. E., Perry, M., & Spencer, R. (2020). Reducing Social Isolation Through Formal Youth Mentoring: Opportunities and Potential Pitfalls. Clinical Social Work Journal, 48(1), 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-019-00727-x Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest: Although research primarily examines the impact of loneliness and social isolation on the aging population, not many scholars examine how they affect young […]

The significance of formal youth mentoring in reducing social isolation

Keller, T. E., Perry, M., & Spencer, R. (2019). Reducing Social Isolation Through Formal Youth Mentoring: Opportunities and Potential Pitfalls. Clinical Social Work Journal, 48, 1-11. Summarized by Ariel Ervin Notes of Interest:  Feelings of social isolation and loneliness are prevalent among many young people This study argues that developing intergenerational relationships through informal mentoring programs can […]

New research shows elderly at risk of social isolation: Implications for mentoring

Posted by Jared Wadley on futurity.org One in five older adults is socially isolated from family or friends, increasing their risks for poor mental and physical health, as well as higher rates of mortality, a new study shows. Researchers investigated several factors affecting social isolation from family and friends within a national sample of more […]

Teens with lots of friends stay healthy longer

Posted by Thania Benios-UNC o The more social ties people have at an early age, the better their health is at the beginnings and ends of their lives, a new study suggests. Researchers say the study is the first to definitively link social relationships with concrete measures of physical well-being such as abdominal obesity, inflammation, […]

New Study Suggests Adolescent Friendships Linked to Adult Health

Tom Jacobs, Pacific Standard For most people, adolescence is a period of life marked by intense friendships, as well as a strong bias toward conformity. Fitting in with our peers is an urgent need, and we’re generally willing to damp down our individuality in order to do so. Newly published research suggests there is a […]