Characteristics contributing to graduation for university students with DSM-5 diagnoses after completion of a mentoring program

ABSTRACT Students with various Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) diagnoses have increasingly enrolled in colleges and universities. Although graduation rates are lower for this group, some students succeed, and mentoring programs are increasingly part of this success. The purpose of this article is to describe a university-based structured mentoring program and outline the quantitative and qualitative findings that promoted success for 30 students with various DSM-5 diagnoses who subsequently graduated from the university. Quantitative (retrospective and, one-group pretest/posttest) and qualitative designs (phenomenological) were used. Statistical significance was achieved for an increase in Grade Point Average (GPA). Qualitative themes promoting success in college included characteristics of the mentoring program, students’ internal characteristics, and external supports. This study contributes to the growing literature on the contributions of mentoring programs and students with DSM-5 diagnoses who benefit from them.