Poster #222 - Impact of Cross-Age Peer Mentoring on Mentors’ Internalizing Symptoms: Role of Relationship Strength and Gender

• In Event: 3-206 - Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Section - Social Relationships

Integrative Statement

Cross-age peer mentoring programs, which employ older adolescents as mentors for younger children, can be effective interventions for youth of color residing in high-violence, urban areas, who are at greater risk for violence exposure and poverty compared to their peers (Zimmerman & Messner, 2013). In addition to improving outcomes for mentees, cross-age peer mentoring programs can enhance interpersonal, personal (e.g., responsibility), and leadership skills for adolescent mentors (Karcher, 2005; Herrera et al., 2008). However, relatively less research focuses on the impact of cross-age peer mentoring on mentors’ mental health. The current study seeks to examine the effect of attendance in a cross-age peer mentoring program on mentors’ internalizing symptoms, including anxious/depressed, withdrawn, and somatization symptoms. It is hypothesized that higher attendance and stronger mentoring relationships (as reported by mentors) will predict fewer internalizing symptoms. Furthermore, the impact of mentoring relationship is hypothesized to depend on mentor gender. No specific predictions were made regarding gender differences.

Participants were high-school-aged mentors recruited from high violence, low-income urban neighborhoods to participate in a cross-age peer mentoring program (N = 92; 30% male; Mage = 16.82 years, SDage = 1.43 years; 67% African American, 27% Hispanic/Latino, 2% Other/Multiracial). Mentors met with mentees weekly for 1-hour sessions, followed by 1-hour debriefing sessions with program staff. On average, mentors attended 20.6 sessions.

Moderated moderation analyses were conducted using PROCESS macro for SPSS (Figure 1; Hayes, 2013). Higher attendance significantly reduced anxious/depressed and withdrawn symptoms over time (Table 1). For anxious/depressed and withdrawn symptoms, significant two-way interaction effects were found between attendance and gender, and between attendance and relationship strength. Significant three-way interaction effects were found between attendance, gender, and relationship strength. For females, attendance appeared to reduce anxious/depressed and withdrawn symptoms when mentors reported stronger mentoring relationships. For males, higher attendance predicted increases in anxious/depressed and withdrawn symptoms for mentors who reported stronger relationships. Conditional effects for males and females were not significant, with the exception of conditional effects for males who reported the highest levels of relationship strength. No significant effects were found for somatization symptoms.

Overall, cross-age peer mentoring appears to reduce anxious/depressed and withdrawn symptoms for adolescent mentors in high-risk neighborhoods. However, the effect of attendance appears to depend on relationship strength and mentor gender. While stronger relationships enhanced the effect of attendance on reducing internalizing symptoms for females, an opposite effect was observed for males. Two explanations are proposed: First, female mentors may be more likely to view mentoring as a “caretaking role” whereby a stronger mentoring relationship reflects perceived mastery of this caretaking role, leading to increased self-esteem and reduced internalizing symptoms. In contrast, male mentors at risk for increased internalizing symptoms may be likely to view the program and the mentoring relationship as an opportunity for social support, leading to higher attendance and stronger relationships, despite increasing internalizing symptoms. Second, males who attend more and form stronger relationships may be more comfortable sharing their experiences of depression or anxiety. Qualitative data will be examined to further inform the interpretation of results.

Authors

• Catherine Rice Dusing, Loyola University Chicago
  Presenting Author

• Elizabeth Harris, Loyola University Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author

• Maryse Richards, Loyola University Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author

• Katherine Tyson McCrea, Loyola University Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author