The current study investigated the impact of childhood abuse (i.e., physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect) on life satisfaction and depression in adulthood, while also examining the role of natural mentors. Natural mentors are nonparental adults from one’s social network (e.g., teachers, coaches, extended family, community members) who provide guidance and support. Data were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) across Waves I, III, and IV. The sample included individuals who indicated that they did ( n = 11,434) and did not ( n = 3,708) have a natural mentor at any time since the age of 14 years. Majority of participants identified as White (62.2%), followed by African American or Black (22.4%), Hispanic or Latinx (16.1%), Asian or Pacific Islander (7.9%), Other (8.9%), and American Indian or Native American (3.6%). Multigroup mediation analysis results indicated that all forms of childhood abuse negatively impacted life satisfaction, which in turn increased depressive symptoms in adulthood. The direct influence of childhood abuse on depression was also significant. Although life satisfaction significantly mediated the relationship between childhood abuse and depression, the presence of a natural mentor did not mitigate these effects. Thus, natural mentors did not buffer against the negative outcomes associated with exposure to childhood abuse. More research is needed to understand the interaction between natural mentoring relationships and childhood abuse.

Youth are increasingly struggling with mental health, yet many lack access to formal care. Evidence indicates that building coping skills can improve mental health and wellbeing. School personnel may be well-positioned to help youth build these coping skills by delivering discrete evidence-based ingredients in their everyday interactions and relationships with students. This scoping review synthesizes the literature on social-emotional evidence-based ingredients delivered by paraprofessionals and explores their potential application in school behavioral health. We searched PsycINFO and PubMed, screened 200 titles/abstracts and 46 full-texts, and yielded 19 studies from which we synthesized data using the RE-AIM framework. We identified 17 evidence-based ingredients, with the most common being mindfulness, relaxation, psychoeducation, exposure, and cognitive restructuring. These were delivered in various formats and settings by different paraprofessionals (e.g., graduate students, teachers, caregivers), with most paraprofessionals receiving some training and supervision. Thirteen studies showed significant improvements in at least one outcome (i.e., anxiety, depression, suicidality, wellbeing). Six studies examined long-term effects, with mixed findings. Despite variation in delivery and training, paraprofessionals appear to feasibly and effectively deliver evidence-based ingredients. These findings support task-shifting ingredients as a scalable approach for supporting youth mental health within school behavioral health systems.