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Youth referred to mentoring programs vary considerably in the range and severity of difficulties (i.e., behavioral, internalizing, social and academic) and environmental challenges they face. However, their patterns of risk and corresponding consequences for mentoring have rarely been investigated. This study draws on data for youth participants in 30 mentoring programs (n = 2,165, 55.1% females) to examine patterns of presenting challenges. Four profiles emerged using three-step latent profile analyses. Profiles with more intensive symptoms were associated with more environmental stressors. Moreover, there were significant differences between profiles in youth-perceived relationship attributes, including closeness, youth-centeredness, growth focus and mentor-mentee relational health. The profile with the highest externalizing and social challenge indicators scored the lowest across these four relational indices. The results highlight variability of youth risk at baseline, and its differential impact on mentoring relationship outcomes. Implications for mentoring programs are discussed.

Background: Boredom is a common complaint among students. Boredom was previously found to be negatively associated with academic outcomes, such as academic motivation, strategies, and achievement. It is of interest to understand students' in-class boredom, especially factors that might exacerbate it. Aims: The current study examines the influence of teacher's boredom on students' in-class boredom and learning experience. It aims to understand the relationship between teacher boredom, students' perceived teacher boredom, student boredom, and student learning motivation. Sample: A total of 437 students (54.8% female, M [subscript Age] = 14.5 years, SD = 1.6) and 17 of their teachers (29.4% female, 76.5% 40 years old or below) participated in the study. Methods: We conducted an experience sampling study, in which participants completed a 2-week diary. Data were analysed using multilevel modelling. Results and Conclusions: Results from multilevel modelling of 2,675 post-class evaluations indicated that teacher boredom was negatively associated with students' motivation. However, the relationship between teacher boredom and students' perceived teacher boredom was not significant, suggesting that students did not accurately perceive whether their teacher was bored. Results from indirect effect analysis further revealed that students' perception of teacher boredom predicted student learning motivation through student boredom. In other words, perceiving teachers being bored promoted students' own feeling of boredom, which in turn reduced their learning motivation. Together, these results indicate that when a teacher is bored in class, or when students perceive that their teacher is bored, students would have lower learning motivation.

The aim of this study was to examine contextual antecedents and well‐being indicators associated with children's and adolescents' access to supportive nonparent adults (SNPAs). We conducted secondary data analysis of the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health, a large‐scale caregiver‐reported survey. We analyzed separate subsamples of children (ages 6–11, n = 12,849) and adolescents (ages 12–17, n = 17,628). For both children and adolescents, markers of social advantage (e.g., White race, nonimmigrant families, neighborhood/community capital, access to extracurriculars) increased the likelihood of having SNPAs, according to parent or caregiver reports. Familial factors (e.g., parent participation in school and extracurricular activities) were stronger predictors of SNPA presence for children. Access to SNPAs was negatively associated with social difficulties among children and adolescents and positively associated with curiosity and overall health among adolescents. In conclusion, disadvantage across multiple ecological levels impairs children's and adolescents' access to SNPAs. Having an SNPA may be associated with some aspects of youth well‐being, although causality cannot be inferred in cross‐sectional data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although solitude is found to be undesirable to many, systematic practice of it can yield positive psychological outcomes. This mixed-method study explored the process and influence of solitude as a behavioral intervention among youths in a therapeutic community in Hong Kong. Qualitative interviews with 43 youths (67.4% male, mean age = 18.3) revealed that solitude facilitated growth in their sense of personal responsibility, increased perspective-taking, increased respect for rules, change in life attitudes, and growth in consideration of future consequences. A two-wave prospective study (n = 79, 82.3% male, mean age = 17.4) further demonstrated perceived meaningfulness in solitude predicted an increase in consideration of future consequences, but not in other types of behavioral intervention. This study preliminarily demonstrated solitude has beneficial outcomes among high-risk youths, and meaning-making can facilitate this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although most mentoring programs for youth are structured around intergenerational relationships, a growing number of programs rely on cross‐age peer mentoring. Such programs capitalize on the availability of youth mentors to promote positive outcomes in younger peers. This study used a multilevel meta‐analytic approach to estimate the effect size of cross‐age peer mentoring programs and evaluate potential moderators of peer mentoring program effectiveness. Analyses included six studies and revealed a medium‐sized overall effect of cross‐age peer mentoring programs (g = 0.45). Several characteristics moderated effect sizes, with larger effects for programs that were conducted outside of the school setting (i.e., weekend, summer, or in community settings), conducted in urban settings, and had moderate/high levels of adult oversight and supervision. Results highlight the potential benefits of cross‐age peer mentoring for youth. Highlights: Analyses revealed a medium‐sized overall effect of cross‐age peer mentoring programs (g = 0.45).Cross‐age peer mentoring can be an accessible intervention for promoting positive youth outcomes.Peer mentoring programs with moderate to high levels of adult oversight and supervision had larger effects.This study is the first meta‐analytic assessment of the impact of cross‐age peer mentoring programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This multiwave longitudinal study investigated the dynamic relationship between gratification delay and three facets of well-being among a group of high-risk youth in a residential therapeutic community: life satisfaction, life flourishing, and lack of depressive symptoms. We collected four waves of data from 111 Hong Kong youths (75.7% male, mean age = 17.7) over one year. We employed latent change score analysis to examine the univariate and bivariate changes of levels of gratification delay and well-being indicators, accounting for gender, drug history, and duration of stay. Results suggest a positive growth trajectory in gratification delay and psychosocial well-being. Delayed gratification was associated with subsequent changes in all three psychosocial well-being indicators and had a reciprocal effect with life flourishing. The findings shed light on delayed gratification as a possible predictor of well-being in high-risk youth and highlight the potential contribution of incorporating training of gratification delay in their rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contact facilitates a reduction in prejudice and negative stereotypes between the social groups. The effect of such contact is optimized when there is equal status between groups, which in volunteerism is manifested through as mutually equitable partnership. This qualitative study examines the processes of contact through an intervention youth group that connects Chinese and refugee/asylum seeker youths in Hong Kong. Interviews were conducted with 5 participants (60% females; mean age = 24) in 2016. Results indicated the youth group facilitated contact within its members, where the more they engage, in frequency and intentionality, the more they find a sense of belonging with each other. Moreover, Chinese participants demonstrated a shift in seeing refugee participants as collaborators and friends instead of service-recipient. The findings shed light on the processes of contact within volunteerism and offers potential contribution of collaborative environment in similar integration intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Boredom is a common complaint among students. Boredom was previously found to be negatively associated with academic outcomes, such as academic motivation, strategies, and achievement. It is of interest to understand students' in‐class boredom, especially factors that might exacerbate it. Aims: The current study examines the influence of teacher's boredom on students' in‐class boredom and learning experience. It aims to understand the relationship between teacher boredom, students' perceived teacher boredom, student boredom, and student learning motivation. Sample: A total of 437 students (54.8% female, MAge = 14.5 years, SD = 1.6) and 17 of their teachers (29.4% female, 76.5% 40 years old or below) participated in the study. Methods: We conducted an experience sampling study, in which participants completed a 2‐week diary. Data were analysed using multilevel modelling. Results and Conclusions: Results from multilevel modelling of 2,675 post‐class evaluations indicated that teacher boredom was negatively associated with students' motivation. However, the relationship between teacher boredom and students' perceived teacher boredom was not significant, suggesting that students did not accurately perceive whether their teacher was bored. Results from indirect effect analysis further revealed that students' perception of teacher boredom predicted student learning motivation through student boredom. In other words, perceiving teachers being bored promoted students' own feeling of boredom, which in turn reduced their learning motivation. Together, these results indicate that when a teacher is bored in class, or when students perceive that their teacher is bored, students would have lower learning motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the longer-term individual- and school-level changes in students seven months after a one-hour delay in school start time (SST). Two cohorts of Grade 11 students (N = 227; 60.8% female, age = 17.0 [0.85]) at a residential high school in Hong Kong completed a questionnaire assessing sleep duration, insomnia symptoms, depression, anxiety, stress, and subjective well-being in 2017 and 2018, respectively. One of the cohorts was reassessed seven months after the implementation of a delay in SST, from 7:30am to 8:30am (n = 83, 65.1% female). School-level data on breakfast consumption, attendance, tardiness, and health clinic visits were collected. Between-group and within-group prospective comparisons suggest that the delay in SST was associated with improved sleep duration, mental health, and life satisfaction. School-level data revealed increased breakfast consumption and decreased unexcused absences, tardiness, and clinic visits., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The effects of a delayed school start time by one hour were examined at a boarding school in Hong Kong. Two cohorts of high school students (N = 228; 61.8% female) were recruited respectively before and after a school start time changed from 7:30am to 8:30am. Both cross-cohort and within-cohort longitudinal comparisons yielded significant increase in total sleep time. Cross-cohort comparison yielded improvement in sleep quality, insomnia, life satisfaction, and psychological distress. Longitudinal data suggested that the longer the additional sleep time, the better was sleep quality, day-time functioning, and subjective wellbeing., (Copyright © 2018 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)