Natural mentoring among college students of color: Considerations for their ethnic‐racial identity and psychological well‐being

Abstract

AbstractThis study examined: (a) the roles of ethnic‐racial similarity between mentors and mentees and mentors' support for ethnic‐racial identity (ERI) in mentees' ERI private regard, (b) the roles of ethnic‐racial similarity and ERI support in mentees' psychological well‐being, and (c) the indirect effects of ethnic‐racial similarity and ERI support on psychological well‐being via private regard. Participants were 231 college students of color who completed a survey and reported having a natural mentor. Path analyses were conducted to test the hypothesized model. More support for ERI was significantly associated with higher private regard and higher self‐esteem. Higher ethnic‐racial similarity was significantly related to higher psychological distress and higher self‐esteem. An indirect effect was found between ERI support and ethnic‐racial similarity and psychological well‐being via private regard. The findings fill a gap in the literature on ethnic‐racial processes in mentoring critical to the development of college students of color.