​​​Youth who meet regularly with their mentors are:

46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs 

27% less likely to start drinking. 

(Public/Private Ventures study of Big Brothers Big Sisters)

 A study showed that the strongest benefit from mentoring was a reduction in depressive symptoms ... particularly noteworthy given that almost one in four youth reported worrisome levels of these symptoms.

(The Role of Risk, 2013)