"I Felt Less Alone:" Pilot Implementation of a Virtual Supportive Mentoring Group for Social Work Doctoral Student Moms

Background: Doctoral student moms face unique challenges while juggling the roles of student, researcher, teacher, parent, daughter, and/or partner. Gaps in institutional and programmatic support have been identified as a primary source of attrition among doctoral student moms, including the need for formal parenting support networks, maternal role models and mentors in the academy, and parental leave policies. These issues are especially salient in social work doctoral programs, where the majority of social work doctoral students identify as women and over one third identify as parents. While research has continued to document recommendations for supporting social work doctoral student moms, there is an absence of empirically-based intervention models that promote persistence, resilience, and professional success for this population. In an effort to fill this gap, this study describes the pilot implementation and outcomes of a 10-month supportive mentoring group for social work doctoral student moms.

Methods: The sample (N = 10) was randomly selected from participants in a larger national survey study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of social work doctoral students. Participants were diverse in marital status, race, sexual identity, and geographic location. The 10-month virtual supportive mentoring group was co-facilitated via Zoom by a faculty mentor and doctoral student. The objectives of each monthly two-hour meeting were to provide: 1) mutual support and encouragement, 2) professional mentoring, and 3) accountability for personal goals. Professional mentoring topics included burnout, impostor syndrome, supporting diverse and underrepresented academic women, time management, salary negotiation, handling rejection, and navigating personal stressors. Post-intervention surveys were administered at the 10th month and 1-year follow-up to evaluate the degree to which the intervention achieved the three primary objectives. Descriptive statistics were calculated for closed-ended survey questions. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify themes in participant experiences, as described in their qualitative/open-ended survey responses.

Results: All participants reported perceived gains across the three intervention goals (support, mentoring, goal accountability). 100% of participants reported the intervention was “extremely effective” in building peer support relationships built on trust, and 90% reported it was “extremely effective” at building personal confidence. Perceived improvements were similarly reported in participants’ work-life balance (80%), networking skills (60%), and ability to meet personal goals (70%). Key themes in qualitative responses included reduced feelings of isolation, increased sense of community, value in shared experiences, and appreciation for shared accountability, which supported participants in making progress towards professional and personal goals.

Conclusions and Implications: This study demonstrates the potential benefits of a virtual supportive mentoring group for social work doctoral student moms. The intervention provided an opportunity for formalized faculty mentorship and the development of a cross-university network of parenting peers, both of which have been identified as key recommendations in research on retention for parenting doctoral students. Findings illustrated participants’ perceived gains in peer support, personal confidence, goal accomplishment, and work-life balance. Implications related to intervention implementation, feasibility, and supportive mentoring for parenting women students are discussed for doctoral faculty advisors, mentors, and administrators.