mental friend; student volunteer supporting a truant or unsociable child
A wasei-eigo term used in educational and social welfare contexts in Japan. Refers to a volunteer, often a university student, who befriends and supports a child who is truant, withdrawn, or has difficulty socializing. Not a professional counselor, but a peer-like companion.
wasei-eigo (Japanese-coined English), from mental friend
She works as a mental friend for a truant child.
The mental friend system is a volunteer program that supports children who find it hard to go to school.
Variant with interpunct; less common in running text.
Wasei-eigo from English 'mental' and 'friend'. The term was coined in Japan to describe a specific volunteer role in child welfare and education, and is not used in English with this meaning.