A Meta-analysis of the Effects of Mentoring on Youth in Foster Care.

Research suggests that mentoring programs may promote a range of positive outcomes in youth populations. Less is known, however, about the extent to which such programs are effective in specialized youth populations, such as youth involved in the foster care system. The current study aimed to investigate the extent to which mentoring interventions promote positive outcomes among youth involved in the foster care system and to systematically explore factors that may moderate the effectiveness of mentoring interventions. Using a multilevel meta-analytic approach, this study estimated the effect size of nine formal mentoring programs in the United States serving youth involved with the foster care system (total n = 55,561). Analyses revealed a small-to-medium-sized overall effect (g = 0.342). Moderator analyses revealed weaker effects for studies containing higher proportions of youth with emotional abuse histories. Programs deploying near-peer mentors were more than twice as effective as intergenerational mentors. The findings highlight the salience of emotional abuse history, suggesting the utility of providing mentor trainings in trauma-informed care for this population.

Non-Specific versus Targeted Approaches to Youth Mentoring: A Follow-up Meta-analysis.

Despite decades of increased research and funding, youth mentoring programs, overall, yield small effects on youth outcomes. As a result, there are growing calls for programs to utilize the mentoring relationship as context for intentional, targeted skills development, in which mentors employ targeted skills designed to match the presenting concerns of mentees. This targeted approach contrasts with the historically dominant, non-specific friendship model, which holds that a supportive relational bond-alone-promotes positive developmental change. The current study is a follow-up meta-analysis using a comprehensive dataset of all intergenerational, one-on-one mentoring program evaluations published between 1975 and 2018, investigating the comparative impact of targeted, skills-based versus non-specific, relational approaches to mentoring. Analyses of 48 mentoring studies of youth outcomes (average youth age of 12.25 years old) revealed the overall effect size of targeted programs to be more than double that of non-specific relational approaches, with significant moderator effects on academic, psychological, and social functioning. Findings suggest that youth mentoring programs can promote positive outcomes, particularly when mentors employ targeted approaches matched to the needs of their mentees.

The Impact of Mobile Technology-Delivered Interventions on Youth Well-being: Systematic Review and 3-Level Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Rates of mental health problems among youth are high and rising, whereas treatment seeking in this population remains low. Technology-delivered interventions (TDIs) appear to be promising avenues for broadening the reach of evidence-based interventions for youth well-being. However, to date, meta-analytic reviews on youth samples have primarily been limited to computer and internet interventions, whereas meta-analytic evidence on mobile TDIs (mTDIs), largely comprising mobile apps for smartphones and tablets, have primarily focused on adult samples. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mTDIs for a broad range of well-being outcomes in unselected, at-risk, and clinical samples of youth. METHODS: The systematic review used 5 major search strategies to identify 80 studies evaluating 83 wellness- and mental health-focused mTDIs for 19,748 youth (mean age 2.93-26.25 years). We conducted a 3-level meta-analysis on the full sample and a subsample of the 38 highest-quality studies. RESULTS: Analyses demonstrated significant benefits of mTDIs for youth both at posttest (g=0.27) and follow-up (range 1.21-43.14 weeks; g=0.26) for a variety of psychosocial outcomes, including general well-being and distress, symptoms of diverse psychological disorders, psychosocial strategies and skills, and health-related symptoms and behaviors. Effects were significantly moderated by the type of comparison group (strongest for no intervention, followed by inert placebo or information-only, and only marginal for clinical comparison) but only among the higher-quality studies. With respect to youth characteristics, neither gender nor pre-existing mental health risk level (not selected for risk, at-risk, or clinical) moderated effect sizes; however, effects increased with the age of youth in the higher-quality studies. In terms of intervention features, mTDIs in these research studies were effective regardless of whether they included various technological features (eg, tailoring, social elements, or gamification) or support features (eg, orientation, reminders, or coaching), although the use of mTDIs in a research context likely differs in important ways from their use when taken up through self-motivation, parent direction, peer suggestion, or clinician referral. Only mTDIs with a clear prescription for frequent use (ie, at least once per week) showed significant effects, although this effect was evident only in the higher-quality subsample. Moderation analyses did not detect statistically significant differences in effect sizes based on the prescribed duration of mTDI use (weeks or sessions), and reporting issues in primary studies limited the analysis of completed duration, thereby calling for improved methodology, assessment, and reporting to clarify true effects. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study's findings demonstrate that youth can experience broad and durable benefits of mTDIs, delivered in a variety of ways, and suggest directions for future research and development of mTDIs for youth, particularly in more naturalistic and ecologically valid settings.

Parent Attitudes Toward Enhancing Cognition and Clinical Research Trials in Down Syndrome: A Mixed Methods Study.

OBJECTIVE: As understanding of the neurobiological basis of cognitive impairment in Down syndrome (DS) advances and new pharmaceutical interventions targeting neurodevelopment become available, an in-depth understanding of the family perspective is essential to inform research efforts. A mixed methods study was conducted with parents of individuals with DS to learn about attitudes toward pharmacological interventions to enhance cognition, participation in clinical research trials in DS, and the relationship between child/family-specific factors and parent attitudes. METHOD: Parents completed an online survey (N = 37) assessing family/child sociodemographic factors and to capture thoughts on cognitive enhancement and participation in clinical drug trials. A subset of interested parents participated in a follow-up phone interview (N = 21) or focus group (N = 3; 1 FG). Double-blind thematic analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. RESULTS: Parents' attitudes toward improving cognition, reversing intellectual disability, and participation in clinical trials correlated with each other and were informed by specific parent and child factors (e.g., child attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder/behavioral diagnosis and parent education). Qualitative themes included advantages, disadvantages, and ethical implications of enhancing cognition. In addition, themes emerged regarding the need to understand the mechanism and potential side effects of experimental drugs, logistical factors relating to willingness to participate in clinical trials, and the evolution of parents' attitudes over time. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the complexity of issues and implications of clinical trials for enhancing cognition in DS. Child-specific factors, logistical and safety considerations, and personal belief systems all inform parent attitudes and decision making. The findings reflect the importance of incorporating parent perspectives and values in research direction and design.