More than half of first-year college students (54%) frequently felt anxious since starting college – and 60% don’t turn to professionals for help. They turn to their friends. To encourage conversation and ensure support is accessible to all, Maybelline New York has partnered with The Jed Foundation (JED), to create Brave Talk, a free expert-developed training designed to give students the skills to support their peers who may be struggling and help connect them to care.
“At Maybelline we believe that mental health is health, but we know that when people are struggling, they turn to those they trust first. We created a program that would put 1:1 support for mental health into everyone’s hands. With Brave Talk, we believe more people will feel heard, supported, and aware of the resources available to them.” said Trisha Ayyagari, Global Brand President, Maybelline New York Worldwide. “We passionately believe no one should have to struggle alone.”
Brave Talk builds on the #1 beauty brand’s Brave Together program launched in 2020, dedicated to helping destigmatize anxiety and depression worldwide and making 1:1 support accessible to all, in partnership with mental health nonprofits around the world. Brave Together is committed to reaching 1 million people with 1:1 support and donating $10 million to mental health causes by 2025.
Created in partnership with JED’s clinical experts, Brave Talk is a free 90-minute scenario-based training designed to be delivered by college staff that will educate students on how-to spot the signs of someone who is struggling, how-to support them and how-to connect them with appropriate help. Brave Talk’s goal is to build a culture where students can feel heard and cared for.
“JED knows that creating a culture of caring around young adults is protective for their mental health. Brave Talk will open up much-needed conversations about mental health on college campuses while encouraging students to not only look after their own emotional well-being, but also look out for one another,” said JED CEO John MacPhee. “Making these types of resources available to college students is more important than ever, and we are proud to continue our partnership with Maybelline, and thankful for their commitment to breaking down barriers in mental health care access.”
Brave Talk is created with a memorable frame and includes “Brave Steps” to allow anyone to remember how start the conversation with a friend.
Maybelline will kick off the Brave Talk pilot this month at New York University, followed by the S Jay Levy Fellowship for Future Leaders at The City College of New York and Queens College as well as internally with Maybelline NY and L’Oreal Group employees. In 2023, the training will be available for free to all colleges nationally (in the US) and globally.
