Youth with chronic health problems: how do they fare in main-stream mentoring programs?

Area of Science:

• Social Sciences
• Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Youth with chronic physical health issues often face social and emotional challenges.
• The study examines how community-based mentoring impacts these youth based on their health status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between participation in Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) mentoring programs and social/mood outcomes in youth with varying health statuses.
• To determine if mentoring benefits differ for youth with chronic health problems compared to those without.

Main Methods:

• Youth were categorized by health status (chronic with/without limitations, no chronic issues) and mentoring status (mentored/not mentored).
• Outcomes assessed at 18-month follow-up included social anxiety, depressed mood, and peer self-esteem.
• Demographic and service use data were also collected.

Main Results:

• Mentored youth with chronic health problems and activity limitations showed significantly lower social anxiety and higher peer self-esteem than non-mentored peers.
• All mentored youth, regardless of health status, reported fewer symptoms of depressed mood compared to non-mentored youth.
• No significant improvements in social anxiety or peer self-esteem were observed for mentored youth with chronic health problems without limitations or those without health problems.

Conclusions:

• Youth with chronic health problems, particularly those with activity limitations, can gain social and mood benefits from mentoring.
• Community-based mentoring programs like BBBS show promise in supporting the social-emotional well-being of vulnerable youth populations.