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© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Caregivers of children with chronic conditions face daily challenges and a lower quality of life, which may be improved through peer support. This scoping review explored the literature on formal caregiver-to-caregiver mentorship programs, identifying strategies to inform future programs. Using Arskey and O’Malley’s framework, we searched five databases for peer-reviewed literature on caregiver-to-caregiver mentorship programs for adult caregivers caring for children (≤18 years) with chronic conditions. Thematic analysis was performed on relevant articles. Of the 10 064 search hits, 109 were included after full-text screening. Theme 1, “Mentorship adds to medical support”, reflected how mentorship can complement medical care provided by healthcare teams. Theme 2, “Successful mentorship requires the right mentors”, highlighted the qualities of mentors crucial for effective mentorship, mentor-matching practices, and training areas for mentors. Theme 3, “Mentorship programs should balance structure and flexibility”, emphasized the importance of allowing for flexibility to accommodate diverse family needs. Theme 4, “Mentorship programs face common challenges”, summarized the challenges frequently faced when implementing mentorship programs. The study findings suggest that the success of mentorship programs hinge on factors including a flexible program structure, knowledgeable and dedicated mentors, and an infrastructure in place for supporting both the mentors and the financial needs of the program.

Details

Title
Practical and Effective Mentorship Strategies for Caregivers of Children with Chronic Conditions: A Scoping Review
Author
Duerksen, LaDawn N 1 ; Chloé Janse van Rensburg 2 ; Costello, Carrie 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Golding, Michael A 4 ; Mê-Linh Lê 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Woods, Maya 6 ; Kelso, Sarah 6 ; Bannister, Lizabeth 6 ; Protudjer, Jennifer L P 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 Department of Graduate Studies, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada; [email protected]; Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada; The Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4, Canada; [email protected] (C.J.v.R.); [email protected] (M.A.G.); Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1S1, Canada 
 The Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4, Canada; [email protected] (C.J.v.R.); [email protected] (M.A.G.); Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1S1, Canada; Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0W2, Canada 
 Rehabilitation Centre for Children, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3G1, Canada[email protected] (M.W.); ; The Center for Implementation, Winnipeg, MB K0K 1C0, Canada 
 The Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4, Canada; [email protected] (C.J.v.R.); [email protected] (M.A.G.); Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1S1, Canada 
 Neil John Maclean Health Sciences Library, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P5, Canada; [email protected] 
 Rehabilitation Centre for Children, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3G1, Canada[email protected] (M.W.); 
 Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada; The Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4, Canada; [email protected] (C.J.v.R.); [email protected] (M.A.G.); Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1S1, Canada; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden 
First page
339
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
MDPI AG
ISSN
1661-7827
e-ISSN
1660-4601
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3181479899
Copyright
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.