Mentoring is often recommended to universities as a way of supporting students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and/or mental health conditions (MHC), but there is little literature on optimising this support. We used mixed-methods to evaluate mentees' and mentors' experiences of a specialist mentoring programme. Mentees experienced academic, social and emotional support, although subtle group differences emerged between students with ASD and MHC. The quality of the mentee-mentor relationship was especially important. Mentors also reported benefits. Thematic analysis identified that effective mentoring requires a tailored partnership, which involves a personal relationship, empowerment, and building bridges into the university experience. Mentoring can effectively support students with ASD and/or MHC, but this is highly dependent on the development of tailored mentee-mentor partnerships.

Peer mentoring is the most common type of peer support framework used in English secondary schools, involving a one-to-one supportive relationship between pupils. Interpersonal benefits have been found for pupils who provide support to others, but there has been little exploration of the experience of being a peer mentor. This qualitative study aimed to provide an initial in-depth look at young people's experiences. A semi-structured focus group was conducted with seven pupils aged 16-17 years in an English secondary school, who were acting as peer mentors to younger mentees or were becoming a mentor. Central thematic categories were identified using abbreviated grounded theory analysis. The central category Becoming grown-ups reflected the way the peer mentors felt the role helped to prepare them for adulthood. Other categories revealed that the role involved a nurturing relationship which benefited mentors but was also challenging. These findings extend the literature by revealing that these pupils may experience personal growth due to both positive and negative aspects of the role. It is recommended that further qualitative exploration of the experiences of peer mentors across multiple settings should be conducted, with findings used to enhance pupil training.

The transition out of university can be a challenging time for undergraduate students, especially those with mental health conditions (MHC). Student mental health is a global concern, and metrics indicate lower employment rates for graduates with MHC. Little is known about the expectations and experiences of these students regarding this transition. This research used mixed methods to gather information on transition expectations prior to graduation (Study One), and experiences after graduation (Study Two). In Study One, 44 final year undergraduate students with MHC registered with their disability service and 50 without completed a survey, examining emotions and expectations of the transition. Study Two involved semi-structured interviews with seven graduates with MHC. Study One found students with MHC associated more negative emotions with the transition and were less likely to have a post-graduation plan but were not accessing more support than those without MHC. Study Two highlighted challenges faced when accessing support, the impact of mental health on transitions, and coping with change. These findings have implications for Higher Education providers in ensuring better support is available for the transition out of university for students with MHC. Specific support tailored to the needs of these students could help improve graduate outcomes.

Background. Younger children are increasingly using social networking sites (SNS; Ofcom, Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report, 2019, https://www.ofcom.org. uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/108182/children-parents-media-use-attitudes-2017.pdf). In doing so, they may experience both benefits (e.g., enhanced social capital) and risks (e.g., cyberbullying). Parents and teachers play an important role in shaping children's perceptions via internet mediation behaviours (Livingstone et al., 2017, J. Commun., 67, 82).Aims. An understanding of both children's and adults' perceptions of the risks and benefits of SNS use within the home and school contexts is limited within current literature. This study explored parents', teachers', and children's perceptions of the risks and benefits of SNS use and how adults mediate this. Sample(s).A sample of 42 participants, including 13 parents (aged 28-48), 14 teachers (aged 26-54), and 15 children (aged 7-12), participated within this study. Methods.Participants took part in one-to-one semi-structured interviews exploring SNS use and risk and benefit perceptions, as well as internet mediation behaviours with adult participants.Results. Findings highlight bonding social capital as the main benefit. Children recognize stranger danger as a risk but fail to perceive the wider online risks (e.g., cyberbullying). Parents' and teachers' restrictive mediation behaviours are informed by perceptions of stranger danger, safeguarding, and children lacking online responsibility.Conclusions. Findings highlight the importance of shifting guidance from stranger danger to discussing the wider SNS risks, as well as the benefits; it is crucial for greater financial investment and policy to overcome barriers to e-safety education.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.

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Peer-led parenting groups are feasible and potentially effective for supporting parents of adolescents living in socially disadvantaged communities. These findings warrant more rigorous testing under controlled conditions.

Two challenges identified for psychology higher education are supporting entry students’ transition, and supporting graduates’ transition into employment. The evaluation of the first phase of a cross–age mentoring action research project targeting these issues is presented; eight psychology undergraduates mentored 20 A–level psychology pupils in two schools. Mentors showed significant increases in two of nine psychological literacies, in self–efficacy but not self–esteem, were highly satisfied with the experience, and reported benefits including enhanced communication skills. Mentees did not improve relative to pupils who were not mentored on attitudes towards higher education, self–efficacy or self–esteem, though reported benefits included enhanced insight into going to university, greater knowledge of psychology, and gains in academic skills. Mentees in one school were highly satisfied, with greater variation in the second. Adaptations identified for the next project iteration include greater focus upon the psychology A–level curriculum, and increased communication between mentors and school staff.

BackgroundThe number of autistic students graduating is increasing; however, little is known regarding their transition out of university. Understanding this transition is particularly pertinent with regard to the employment of autistic graduates. It is vital that we understand autistic people’s experiences of the transition and identify what support would be beneficial during this time.MethodThirty-four autistic graduates from the United Kingdom took part in a mixed-methods study exploring their transition experience. Both quantitative and qualitative questions were used to obtain in-depth information concerning participants’ experiences. Participants completed questions regarding their experiences and emotions in relation to the transition, the support they received for the transition, and their career and post-graduation plans.ResultsParticipants reported high levels of fear and low preparedness for the transition. They did not feel well supported in preparing for the transition or for their future career. In the 6 months pre-graduation, 59% of participants had accessed emotion-related transition support and 70% accessed career-related support. Post-graduation, one-third accessed emotion-related or career-related support. Perspectives on this accessed support were mixed, as were transition experiences. Additional support desired included preparation for life changes, career planning, employment accessibility, and autism-specific support. Advice for future students centered on forward planning.ConclusionThese results highlight the importance of supporting autistic students with the transition out of university. Service provision should be tailored to autistic students’ needs and support early planning for the transition.