Cognitive Behavioral Principles Within Group Mentoring: A Randomized Pilot Study

• Published in: Child & family behavior therapy Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 203 - 219
• Main Authors: Jent, Jason F., Niec, Larissa N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Colchester Taylor & Francis Group 01-07-2009; Routledge; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Behavior Modification; Behavior Problems; Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Children; Children & youth; Cognitive Restructuring; Cognitive therapy; Community health care; Control Groups; emotional and behavioral problems; group mentoring; Health Services; Medical sciences; Mental Health; Mental health care; Mental Health Programs; Mentoring programs; Mentors; Problem Solving; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Social Problems; Treatments; Human; Cognitive therapy; Treatment; School age; group mentoring; children; Behavior therapy; Emotional disorder; Child; emotional and behavioral problems; Preadolescent; Behavioral disorder
• ISSN: 0731-7107; 1545-228X
• DOI: 10.1080/07317100903099258

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a group mentoring program that included components of empirically supported mentoring and cognitive behavioral techniques for children served at a community mental health center. Eighty-six 8- to 12-year-old children were randomly assigned to either group mentoring or a wait-list control group. Group mentoring significantly increased children's reported social problem-solving skills and decreased parent-reported child externalizing and internalizing behavior problems after controlling for other concurrent mental health services. Attrition from the group mentoring program was notably low (7%) for children. The integration of a cognitive behavioral group mentoring program into children's existing community mental health services may result in additional reductions in externalizing and internalizing behavior problems.