Where’s the Research? Examining Mentoring Programs for Adolescent Males with Disabilities

Van Ryzin, M. J., Roschelle, J. L., Sinclair, J., & Lind, J. (2025). Review and evidence gap map of mentoring programs for adolescent males with disabilities. Journal of Adolescence, 97, 5–16. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12398

Introduction

Adolescence is a critical period of development, particularly for males with disabilities. Van Ryzin and colleagues (2025) conducted a scoping review to examine the current state of mentoring programs designed to support adolescent males with disabilities. 

Methods

The researchers defined four key dimensions for categorizing studies: setting, sex, outcomes, and evaluation methodology. They included studies with participants who had identified disabilities, were in middle or secondary school, and had a mentoring component. The review was limited to empirical studies published in English. The initial search yielded 959 citations, with 21 studies meeting the inclusion criteria after a two-step screening process.

Results

The results of the scoping review were presented in an Evidence Gap Map (EGM), which highlighted the lack of studies directly targeting adolescent males with disabilities. Among the 21 studies included in the review, only three focused exclusively on males with disabilities, and none of these employed an experimental design. The majority of the studies had mixed-sex samples and concentrated on social-emotional learning (SEL) outcomes. The review found that there is a need for more experimental research to support causal inferences about the effectiveness of mentoring programs for this population.

Discussion

There is a need for more empirical research on mentoring programs for adolescent males with disabilities, particularly those with an experimental design. The authors also identified a gap in research on programs promoting health outcomes and called for more programs that include components targeting male gender-specific social-emotional learning, disability identity awareness, and gender identity awareness. 

Future research should focus on developing and evaluating programs that can provide the necessary support for these young men to successfully transition into adulthood. They also recommend that programs with a demonstrated record of success be prioritized for scale-up and dissemination.