Natural mentors, mental health, and substance use: Exploring pathways via coping and purpose.

Abstract

In the current study, we tested whether relationships with natural mentors may have contributed to fewer internalizing symptoms and less substance use among emerging adults through improved perceptions of coping abilities and an increased sense of life purpose. In addition, we investigated whether natural mentor role (i.e., familial vs. non-familial mentor) and the amount of time spent together in shared activities influenced emerging adults’ internalizing behaviors and substance use via coping and purpose. Participants in the current study included 3,334 emerging adults (mean age = 20.8, 48.6% female, 75.4% White) from diverse regions across the U.S. who participated in an online survey. Participants were recruited via an adapted web-version of Respondent-Driven Sampling (webRDS). Forty-two percent of participants reported a relationship with a natural mentor. We found indirect relationships between natural mentor presence and emerging adults’ mental health and substance use via coping and purpose. Additional analyses indicated that emerging adults may benefit more from relationships with non-familial natural mentors in comparison to familial natural mentors. We also found that the amount of time participants spent with their natural mentors in shared activities was related to participants’ alcohol use. Implications of this study’s findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Does Natural Mentoring Matter? A Multilevel Meta‐analysis on the Association Between Natural Mentoring and Youth Outcomes

“…Although kin relationship ties tend to be more intensive, they may be less able to serve as ‘bridging’ social capital that can link youth to a wider range of educational and occupational opportunities (Raposa, Erikson, Hagler, & Rhodes, ). This is consistent with the developmental stage of adolescence, when youths build identities outside the family and autonomy from parents increases considerably (Bowers et al., ; Hurd, Stoddard, Bauermeister, & Zimmerman, ).…”

Functional Roles of Important Nonfamily Adults for Youth

“…Young adults frequently highlight the challenger function, attributing their success in overcoming adversity to caring mentors who persistently confront them with the need to strive for a better life (Hamilton & Hamilton, ; M. A. Hamilton & Hamilton, ). The compass and role model functions would be expected to further adolescent identity formation (Erikson, ; Hurd, Stoddard, Bauermeister, & Zimmerman, ). The connector function of building bridging social capital (Putnam, ) may be especially significant when performed by someone more distant than a blood relative (Granovetter, ).…”

“…A. Hamilton & Hamilton, 2012). The compass and role model functions would be expected to further adolescent identity formation (Erikson, 1968;Hurd, Stoddard, Bauermeister, & Zimmerman, 2014). The connector function of building bridging social capital (Putnam, 2000) may be especially significant when performed by someone more distant than a blood relative (Granovetter, 1983).…”

Enhancing Social Support Postincarceration: Results From a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

“…It may seem intuitive that older, former prisoners have less support than younger former prisoners; yet, research on emerging adulthood (aged 18–25 years) suggests that it is not necessarily the amount of support that declines, but rather who provides the support (Hurd, Stoddard, Bauermeister, & Zimmerman, ); wherein support from parents shifts to peers or intimate partners and support from school shifts to work. This shift in support providers is logical given the shift in roles that occurs between teenagers into young adults who become wage earners and parents.…”