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An estimated three million American youth are in formal, one-to-one mentoring relationships, and countless more have meaningful, natural mentoring relationships with extended family members, teachers, neighbors, coaches and other caring, non-parental adults. The empirical literature generally indicates that close and enduring mentoring relationships can have a positive effect on youth self-esteem. This article begins by discussing different types of youth mentoring, then it summarizes the research on 1) the effects of mentoring relationships on self-esteem; 2) factors that predict variation in relationship effectiveness, leading to either positive or negative effects; and 3) the processes through which these relationships exert such effects. It concludes with recommended practices for mentoring programs which can contribute to positive youth outcomes. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

In the present study, the authors examined the role of child-related stressors in the psychological adjustment of lower-income, primarily unmarried and African American, mothers (N = 386). All participants lived in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, and about a third were also exposed to Hurricane Rita (30.3%, n = 117). Lacking knowledge of a child's safety during the hurricanes was a significant predictor of heightened postdisaster psychological distress and posttraumatic stress, even after controlling for demographic variables, predisaster psychological distress, evacuation timing, and bereavement. From interviews with a subset of the participants (n = 57), we found that mothers consistently put their own needs behind those of their children. The authors recommend policies that promptly reunite mothers with missing children and support lower-income mothers in caring for their children during natural disasters and the aftermath. (Contains 1 table.)

Objective: In this study, we examined the influence of pre-disaster perceived social support on post-disaster psychological distress among survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Method: Participants (N = 386) were low-income mothers between 18 and 34 years of age at baseline (M = 26.4, SD = 4.43). The majority (84.8%) was African American; 10.4% identified as Caucasian, 3.2% identified as Hispanic, and 1.8% identified as other. Participants were enrolled in an educational intervention study in 2004 and 2005. Those who had completed a 1-year follow-up assessment prior to Hurricane Katrina were reassessed approximately 1 year after the hurricane. Measures of perceived social support and psychological distress were included in pre- and post-disaster assessments. Using structural equation modeling and multiple mediator analysis, we tested a model wherein pre-disaster perceived social support predicted post-disaster psychological distress both directly and indirectly through its effects on pre-disaster psychological distress, exposure to hurricane-related stressors, and post-disaster perceived social support. We predicted that higher pre-disaster perceived social support would be predictive of lower pre-disaster psychological distress, lower hurricane-related stressors, and higher post-disaster perceived social support, and that these variables would, in turn, predict lower post-disaster psychologically distress. Results: Our analyses provide partial support for the hypothesized model. Although pre-disaster perceived social support did not exert a direct effect on post-disaster psychological distress, the indirect effects of all 3 proposed mediators were significant. Conclusions: Pre-disaster social support can decrease both exposure to natural disasters and the negative psychological effects of natural disaster exposure. These findings underscore the importance of bolstering the post-disaster social support networks of low-income mothers. (Contains 2 figures, 1 footnote and 2 tables.)

The role of gender in shaping the course and quality of adult-youth mentoring relationships was examined. The study drew on data from a large, random assignment evaluation of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBSA) programs [Grossman, J. B., & Tierney, J. P. (1998). Does mentoring work? An impact study of the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. "Evaluation Review," 22, 403-426], and focused on variables associated with youth's relationships with their parents and mentors. At baseline, girls reported significantly lower levels of parental trust and higher levels of alienation from their parents than boys. Nonetheless, girls' mentoring relationships lasted significantly longer than those of boys. Moreover, girls were less satisfied than boys in short- and medium-term relationships, but were more satisfied than boys in long-term relationships. Similarly, girls in long-term relationships rated mentoring as more helpful than either the boys or the girls in the shorter-term relationship groups. Particularly in light of the heightened mistrust and alienation from parents at baseline, and the role of improved parent relationships in mediating the effects of mentoring, the protective aspect of longer-lasting mentoring relationships may be particularly salient for girls.

In 2001, the grant and research coordinator of the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) was inspired to create an informal collaborative with representatives from other organizations who had similar interests in collecting and sharing data that related to postsecondary education aspirations and participation. Representatives were equally concerned at the time with the lack of consistent data on higher education within the state, as well as the need for more analytical work on important issues in higher education. The other original partners were representatives from the New Hampshire Department of Education (NHDOE), New Hampshire Postsecondary Education Commission (NHPEC), the New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation (NHHEAF) Network Organizations, and University System of New Hampshire (USNH). This collaborative became known as the New Hampshire Partnership for the Advancement of Postsecondary Education Research (NH PAPER), which has met monthly for nearly eight years. In this chapter, the authors describe the evolution of NH PAPER's work agenda since its inception in 2001 and focus more fully on its signature project: the annual survey of all high school seniors in the state. Now in its sixth year, the survey has provided policymakers at state and institutional levels with valuable information about the postsecondary aspirations of students across the state and how they are changing over time. (Contains 4 tables.)

Despite findings indicating the importance of non-parental adults in the lives of youth, there is little research on these relationships, including those that occur in the context of youth mentoring. Compounding this problem is a positive slant taken towards youth mentoring in the media, often unsubstantiated by empirical evidence. This article outlines the research on youth mentoring by focusing on comprehensive literature reviews and evaluations of factors that influence the effectiveness and closeness of mentoring relationships. Review articles come to different conclusions about mentoring, in part because of differential emphasis on particular research findings. Further research indicates the importance of relationship duration and structure, as well as mentor skills, on youth outcomes. Implications for youth mentoring practices, including utilizing empirically-based mentor training, program implementation and evaluation of services, reducing volunteer attrition, and connecting youth mentoring with other services, are discussed.

Recent longitudinal studies in the aftermath of natural disasters have shown that resilience, defined as a trajectory of consistently low symptoms, is the modal experience, although other trajectories representing adverse responses, including chronic or delayed symptom elevations, occur in a substantial minority of survivors. Although these studies have provided insight into the prototypical patterns of postdisaster mental health, the factors that account for these patterns remain unclear. In the current analysis, we aimed to fill this gap through a mixed-methods study of female participants in the Resilience in Survivors of Katrina (RISK) study. Latent class growth analysis identified six trajectories of psychological distress in the quantitative sample (n = 386). Qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 54 participants identified predisaster, disaster-related and postdisaster experiences that could account for the trends in the quantitative data. In particular, preexisting and gains in psychosocial resources (e.g., emotion regulation, religiosity) and positive postdisaster impacts (e.g., greater neighborhood satisfaction, improved employment opportunities) were found to underlie resilience and other positive mental health outcomes. Conversely, experiences of childhood trauma, and pre and postdisaster stressors (e.g., difficulties in intimate partner relationships) were common among participants in trajectories representing adverse psychological responses. Illustrative case studies that exemplify each trajectory are presented. The results demonstrate the utility of mixed-methods analysis to provide a richer picture of processes underlying postdisaster mental health., Author(s): Sarah R. Lowe [sup.1] , Jean E. Rhodes [sup.2] , Mary C. Waters [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West [...]

Background: We aimed to estimate the association between urbanicity and the onset of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and to investigate heterogeneity therein according to age and socioeconomic position (SEP). Methods: We analyzed administrative data from the Korean National Health Insurance Database for patients with PTSD from 2004 to 2018 (N = 109,230) and for a 1:4 sample of age‐, sex‐, and enrollment year‐matched controls. Information on eligibility, SEP (proxied by insurance premium), place of residence, diagnosis, and medical claims was obtained. Urbanicity of administrative districts was assessed using data from the Korean Statistical Information Service, 2005–2018. We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) from baseline and time‐dependent models. Subgroup analyses and polynomial splines were used to investigate heterogeneity by age and SEP. Results: Urbanicity was associated with an increased risk of PTSD (per 10%p increase, HR = 1.056, 95% CI 1.050–1.061). A positive association was estimated among patients aged 0–29 years (HR = 1.115, CI 1.106–1.124), while negative associations were estimated among patients aged 30–64 years (HR = 0.990, CI 0.987–0.994) and 65 years or older (HR = 0.992, CI 0.979–1.014). The estimated associations with urbanicity were more prominent at the extremes of SEP, but only among younger participants. Conclusion: Urban residence was associated with an increased risk of PTSD diagnosis. The estimated association was larger among younger individuals (but not among middle‐aged and older individuals). Among younger individuals, the estimated association was larger at both extremes of SEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rape myths are cultural beliefs that invalidate, blame, and stigmatize rape survivors, thereby perpetuating sexual violence. Few studies have explored associations between rape myth acceptance (RMA) and mental health outcomes, but evidence suggests that RMA can buffer the mental health impact of some forms of sexual assault. The current study examined the buffering effect of RMA on depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms using self-report data from an online survey of 500 female college students. Findings provided support for the buffering effect of RMA on the association between any sexual assault and PTSD symptoms. Experiencing any sexual assault was significantly associated with greater PTSD symptoms among participants with low RMA, whereas this association was only marginally significant among those with high RMA. Findings demonstrate that there are some contexts in which high RMA might lessen the mental health impact of sexual assault. Thus, it is possible that as progress is made to dismantle rape myths in society, mental health symptoms amongst some survivors may exacerbate, thereby increasing the demand for mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]