Needs of Youth and Parents From Multi-Problem Families in the Search for Youth-Initiated Mentors

Natasha Koper; Hanneke E. Creemers; Levi Van Dam; Geert Jan J. M. Stams; Susan Branje

doi:10.1177/0044118X211058217

Needs of Youth and Parents From Multi-Problem Families in the Search for Youth-Initiated Mentors

Natasha Koper, Hanneke E. Creemers, Levi Van Dam, Geert Jan J. M. Stams, Susan Branje

Department of Oral Biochemistry, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam, Gustav Mahlerlaan 3004, 1081 LA Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Levvel Youth and Family Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Department of Orthopedics, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
YIM Foundation, Amersfoort, The Netherlands

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Youth-initiated mentoring is an innovative youth care approach in which youth recruit supportive adults from their social networks as a mentor for youth and a partner for parents and professionals. This qualitative interview study documents what youth (n = 15) and parents (n = 13) from multi-problem families look for in a mentor, what mentors (n = 8) believe they have to offer, and whether what mentors believe to offer matches youth’s and parents’ needs. Youth and parents indicated that a strong connection and trust were most important, or even prerequisites, as youth who were unable to find mentors did not have strong relationships of trust. Youth and parents also voiced preferences for an understanding, sensitive mentor who offered youth perspective by providing support and advice and (according to some) setting rules. What mentors believed to offer matched youth’s and parents’ needs, suggesting that most youth successfully recruited suitable mentors.

Original language	English
Article number	0044118X211058217
Pages (from-to)	420-446
Number of pages	27
Journal	Youth & Society
Volume	55
Issue number	3
Early online date	26 Nov 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X211058217
Publication status	Published - Apr 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We would like to thank the youth mental health care organizations and their employees for their full cooperation: Enver, Jeugdformaat, Foundation Juzt, and Levvel. We are grateful for the collaboration with Utrecht University, University of Amsterdam and the YIM Foundation. We also want to thank our students and research assistants who contributed to data collection. Special thanks to research assistant Kelly, who helped in the coding process. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The work described in this article was supported by funding from five youth mental health care organizations in the Netherlands, that is Enver, Jeugdformaat, Foundation Juzt, GGz Breburg and Levvel. The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.

Keywords

YIM approach
interviews
mentors
multi-problem families
needs
selection process
youth-initiated mentoring

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10.1177/0044118X211058217Licence: CC BY

koper-et-al-2021-needs-of-youth-and-parents-from-multi-problem-families-in-the-search-for-youth-initiated-mentorsFinal published version, 178 KBLicence: CC BY

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0044118X211058217

Cite this

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note = "Funding Information: We would like to thank the youth mental health care organizations and their employees for their full cooperation: Enver, Jeugdformaat, Foundation Juzt, and Levvel. We are grateful for the collaboration with Utrecht University, University of Amsterdam and the YIM Foundation. We also want to thank our students and research assistants who contributed to data collection. Special thanks to research assistant Kelly, who helped in the coding process. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The work described in this article was supported by funding from five youth mental health care organizations in the Netherlands, that is Enver, Jeugdformaat, Foundation Juzt, GGz Breburg and Levvel. The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2021.",

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Needs of Youth and Parents From Multi-Problem Families in the Search for Youth-Initiated Mentors

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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