Long-term benefits of mentoring are seen in a mentee’s improved sense of self, health and life outcomes.
Many studies have found that teenagers’ overall wellbeing increases when they are matched with a mentor who shares common interests and who brings valuable life experiences and knowledge to the partnership. This commonality is the foundation of an empathetic connection that improves a teen’s self-confidence and, through action, their self-esteem. Self-esteem is significantly associated with better decision making, improved physical and mental health and greater interest and investment in long-term academic, lifestyle and employment-related outcomes.
In the long-term, the social capital a mentor brings to the partnership is shown to expand a mentee’s “personal and social assets” (Sulimani-Aidan 2018), lining them up for future successes.
One of these personal assets is self-esteem. Mentors who provide teens with purpose and control over their change process “report greater psychological wellbeing, including self-esteem and life satisfaction” (Liang et al. 2016; Schwartz, Lowe & Rhodes 2012). Self-esteem arises out of the mentoring process of developing self-awareness then confidence in their abilities as teenagers move “from a state of dependence to independence” (Irving, Moore & Hamilton 2003). I’m like the L-plate drive instructor helping kids to learn the rules of life.
Taking it next level, Sieving et al. (2017) found that “caring adults protect adolescents from a range of poor health-related outcomes”. This is unsurprising considering the world’s longest longitudinal study from Harvard shows that the greater the quality, not quantity, of a person’s relationships, the happier and healthier they are (Mineo 2017).
Teens with adult mentors are more likely than those without to achieve future academic and career success. Mentoring positively predicts improved educational attainment during high school and university attendance (Fruiht & Wray-Lake 2013). A good mentor can help the mentee become more effective at their studies, learn new skills, develop greater confidence, and make better decisions for their overall career growth (What is Mentoring? | ATD n.d.). Dubois & Silverthorn (2005) in a survey of young adults who “had an important non-familial adult during their adolescent years were more likely to have completed high school, attended college, and had employment for more than 10 hours a week”.
Decision making in one’s best interest is an important life skill, and one that some teenagers struggle with under peer and parental pressure. Older adolescents “seek out opportunities for autonomous decision making and learning” (Fruiht & Wray-Lake 2013) under the guidance of adult mentors who are judged by their mentee to be good role models.
So, improved learning, decision making and sense of self leading to improved life outcomes across the board – win, win.
Sieving et al. (2017) sum it up with their findings that “youth-adult connectedness appears to be foundational for adolescent health and wellbeing” in both the short-term and long-term.
To discuss how my approach could assist your teen, contact me. Be sure to follow me on my socials.
References
Ben-Eliyahu, A. 2022, ‘On Methods: What’s a meta-analysis, anyways?’, The Chronicle of Evidence-Based Mentoring, viewed 16 January 2023, <https://www.evidencebasedmentoring.org/on-methods-whats-a-meta-analysis-anyways/>.
Chang, E.S., Greenberger, E., Chen, C., Heckhausen, J. & Farruggia, S.P. 2010, ‘Nonparental Adults as Social Resources in the Transition to Adulthood: NONPARENTAL ADULTS AS SOCIAL RESOURCES’, Journal of Research on Adolescence, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 1065–82.
Karcher, M.J. 2014, ‘Cross-Age Peer Mentoring’, Handbook of Youth Mentoring, SAGE Publications, Inc., 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks California 91320 United States, pp. 233–58, viewed 13 January 2023, <https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/hdbk_youthmentor2ed/n16.xml>.
Liang, B., Lund, T.J., Mousseau, A.M.D. & Spencer, R. 2016, ‘The Mediating Role of Engagement in Mentoring Relationships and Self-esteem among Affluent Adolescent Girls’:, Psychology in the Schools, vol. 53, no. 8, pp. 848–60.
Schwartz, S.E.O., Lowe, S.R. & Rhodes, J.E. 2012, ‘Mentoring Relationships and Adolescent Self-Esteem’, The prevention researcher, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 17–20.
Sterrett, E.M., Jones, D.J., McKee, L.G. & Kincaid, C. 2011, ‘Supportive Non-Parental Adults and Adolescent Psychosocial Functioning: Using Social Support as a Theoretical Framework’, American journal of community psychology, vol. 48, no. 0, pp. 284–95.
Watson, W., Sealey-Ruiz, Y. & Jackson, I. 2016, ‘Daring to care: the role of culturally relevant care in mentoring Black and Latino male high school students’, Race Ethnicity and Education, vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 980–1002.