The Role of Informal Mentors in Promoting Resilience of Latino/a Late Adolescents and Emerging Adults

This study examined the compensatory and risk-protective roles of informal mentoring in the longitudinal associations between discrimination and behavioral health problems among Latino/a adolescents and emerging adults. The study addressed the limited research on mentoring among Latino/a youth, particularly with regard to behavioral health, and considered both the presence of and relationship quality with mentors as well as gender differences (girls vs. boys). Latent growth curve analysis was used to investigate trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems across 11 observations spanning 7 years. Mentor presence assessed at Wave 9 when youth (N = 544) were approximately 15–18 years old had an association with internalizing problems consistent with the compensatory model, in which a resilience factor offsets the harmful effects of a risk factor, for girls. Among girls with a mentor, relationship quality buffered associations between discrimination and internalizing problems, consistent with the risk protective model. Among boys who reported having a mentor, relationship quality had an association with internalizing problems consistent with the compensatory model. For both girls and boys with mentors, relationship quality buffered associations between discrimination and externalizing problems, consistent with the risk protective model. Whereas discrimination consistently shows harmful effects on Latino/a adolescents’ emotional and behavioral adjustment, a resilience perspective underscores the reality that, with adequate support, most youth are able to overcome those risks. The current study fills gaps in the literature by examining how informal mentoring can foster resilience to such harmful effects, and highlights directions for future research and practice aimed at enhancing the well-being of this large and fast-growing population.