Study finds seven ways mentoring helps young people in Camhs to progress

The mentoring experiences of young people referred to Foróige’s Big Brother Big Sister mentoring programme showed seven key benefits.

Young people engaging with mental health services benefit from the impact of mentoring, including improved coping, wellbeing and social skills.

New research published by Foróige and the Unesco Child and Family Research Centre, University of Galway looked at the mentoring experiences of young people referred to Foróige’s Big Brother Big Sister mentoring programme from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

It found seven key benefits were identified: 

• Improved relationship and social skills; 
• Greater functioning and independence; 
• More confidence; 
• Enhanced mood and positive affect; 
• Improved coping and wellbeing; 
• Stronger self-identity;
• Increased engagement.

The research, entitled Youth mentoring as a supportive resource for young people in CAMHS: An exploratory study, was launched by Minister for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler.

Report author, Dr Charlotte Silke, said: “Findings from the study suggest that mentoring can act as a supportive resource for young people involved with CAMHS. Young people from CAMHS who were paired with an adult volunteer from Foróige’s Big Brother Big Sister programme reported developing trusting, empathic friendships with their mentors. 

"Participants believed these relationships were beneficial and helped the young people to have more confidence, develop greater coping skills, and become more outgoing and independent’’.

Barbara Daly, Chairperson of Foróige, said: “Behind each of these findings is an individual young person, with an individual story and an individual struggle. These young people are at the heart of what Foróige and the Big Brother Big Sister Programme are all about. 

"We provide them with support, based on their individual needs and challenges, in a way that is both practical and powerful."

Minister Butler welcomed the findings and said: "Developing all aspects of mental health care remains a priority for me, and for Government. We are seeing good progress being made on implementation of Sharing the Vision, underpinned by the record funding for mental health and suicide prevention given in the recent Budget.”