Menlo Park, California: Facebook is making it easier for people who express suicidal thoughts on the social networking site to get help. A program that was launched yesterday enables users to instantly connect with a crisis counsellor through Facebook's ‘chat' messaging system.
Earlier this year, Facebook announced changes to how users report bullying, offensive content and fake profiles.
"One of the big goals here is to get the person in distress into the right help as soon as possible," Fred Wolens, public policy manager at Facebook, said.
The new service enables an instant chat session that experts say can make all the difference with someone seeking help.
"Science shows that people experience reductions in suicidal thinking when there is quick intervention," Lidia Bernik, associate project director of Lifeline, said. "We've heard from many people who say they want to talk to someone but don't want to call. Instant message is perfect for that."
Some crisis lines such as Lifeline have been criticised for alerting police without the caller or user knowing.
The service works in a simple way. If a friend spots a suicidal thought on someone's page, he can report it to Facebook by clicking a link next to the comment. Facebook then sends an email to the person who posted the suicidal comment encouraging them to call a crisis hotline or click on a link to begin a confidential chat.
Facebook on its own doesn't troll the site for suicidal expressions, Wolens said.
"The only people who will have a really good idea of what's going on is your friends, so we're encouraging them to speak up and giving them an easy and quick way to get help," he said.
