This Tuesday facebook announced that they are going to introduce the new tools and educational resources to help people who are currently struggling with self-injury or suicidal thoughts.
Facebook launches Suicide Prevention tools and Resources in India
This tool will let users report the post to facebook or directly reach out the person posting something on Facebook that causes issues about their personal well-being. Earlier, this feature was available in the UK only, but now it is available globally.
Facebook sends the distressed users the pop-up, with options like Can we help?, Talk with a friend, Contact a helpline, Get tips and supports, Skip this
Public Policy Director of Facebook, Ankhi Das said “Often, friends and family who are the observers in these types of situations don’t know what to do. They’re concerned, but they’re worried about saying the wrong thing or somehow making it worse,”
“Socially, mental illness and thoughts about suicide are just not something we talk about. Facebook is a place where people connect and share,”- Ankhi das also said that being connected is a protective factor in suicide prevention.
Ankhi Das the public policy director of Facebook also mentioned that they have teams working around the world, 24×7, who review reports that come in. They prioritize the most severe reports like self-injury and send help and resources to those in difficulty
In collaboration with local partners AASRA and The Live Love Laugh Foundation, Facebook had launched this tools in India. Users can also reach the page by simply searching for “Suicide“ on Facebook search.
Facebook also said “The resources we send to the person who posted something concerning will include an expanded set of options. People can now choose to reach out to a friend, contact a helpline, or see tips” and the best part is this all features will be found on the same page.
