How College Mentors Are Impacting Teen Mental Health

In a digital world where young women and teens often face isolation behind their screens, Vescent and Resiliency Technologies have partnered to rewrite the narrative. We prepare college mentors to show up for middle school girls navigating some of life's toughest challenges.

We recently analyzed responses from 16 college psychology students who completed the evidence-based 5-hour Sharpen Mental Health Literacy (SMHL) training program by Resiliency Technologies and found that mentors were transformed into confident, capable advocates for adolescent mental health (Hussa Farrell & Abel, 2025). Sharpen 5-hour mental health literacy training program demonstrates exceptional efficacy in preparing college students to serve as peer mentors (Hussa Farrell & Abel, 2025). The analysis reveals:

• 100% comprehension of core crisis intervention protocols

• Strong alignment with evidence-based prevention practices

• Clear articulation of professional boundaries and ethical responsibilities

• Trauma-informed perspective integrated throughout responses

• Age-appropriate understanding of developmental considerations

• High confidence and readiness to serve as effective mentors

• 85% of mentors reported feeling significantly more prepared to handle difficult conversations about suicide and critical mental health topics like eating disorders.

One mentor powerfully articulated this shift:

"The knowledge I have learned through this course has increased my confidence and competence within the mental health realm. I feel much more prepared and have access to valuable resources."

100% of our trained mentors now demonstrate comprehensive understanding of crisis response protocols—from recognizing warning signs to knowing exactly when to connect a struggling teen with professional resources. They've mastered the delicate balance between being a supportive peer and understanding their boundaries, recognizing when a situation requires escalation to crisis services like 988 or to mental health professionals.

Perhaps most importantly, 88% of mentors now understand the critical connection between trauma and mental health, particularly how adverse childhood experiences impact eating disorders and suicide risk. This isn't surface-level awareness—our mentors can identify specific risk factors like social media's role in body image concerns and protective factors like mindful eating and stress management techniques they can actually share with their mentees through the Sharpen Peer Resiliency program implemented through the Vescent mentoring platform.

"This course has taught me what warning signs might look like and what to do to help them," shared one mentor. Another reflected: "I now have a deeper understanding of what it's like to be a youth in today's society and how mental health ties into that."

CEOs of Resiliency Technologies and Vescent came together in 2020 to build a trusted community where trained mentors provide the authentic connections that teens desperately need. Mentors trained in the SMHL program demonstrate deep understanding of the serious nature of their role, while showing appropriate humility about when to refer concerns to professionals.

Join the Movement

As we continue to challenge traditional social media norms and create spaces where young women can thrive, our commitment to mentor training remains unwavering.

Whether you're a college student interested in becoming a mentor, a parent seeking a safer online community for your daughter, or an advocate for teen mental health—Vescent is where authentic connections spark real change. Get involved at https://www.vescent.co/.

Hussa Farrell, R., Abel, C. (2025). Efficacy of Mental Health Literacy Training for College Peer Mentors: a white paper outlining Sharpen MHL impact on Vescent mentors. Resiliency Technologies, October 17, 2025 via https://www.sharpenminds.com/post/efficacy-of-mental-health-literacy-training-for-college-peer-mentors