The social network will now detect suicide notes

Feb 26, 2015 14:21 GMT  ·  By

Facebook has just announced a new feature, initially available in the United States, but scheduled to go live worldwide at some point in the future, that would allow the social network to combat suicide and get in touch with those distressed to offer help.

In the next few months, the social network will debut a feature that will allow users to report any threat of suicide that they come across, so Facebook can now directly contact the poster and try to help. A special team that will work 24/7 will prioritize the most serious reports, Facebook says, which is probably an indication that there are plenty of suicide posts out there published regularly.

Once the Facebook team is notified, the poster is contacted and encouraged to connect with a mental health expert at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline but also to get in touch with a friend and talk about their feelings.

Why don't you talk to a friend?

At the same time, Facebook will also alert the person who reported the message and will give them several options to connect with the friend who posted the suicide note, again with the goal of offering support and preventing a tragedy from happening.

The poster is told that “a friend thinks you might be going through something difficult and asked us to look at your recent posts.” He is then given two options: to talk to someone and reach out to a friend or helpline worker, or to get tips and support online.

“One of the first things these organizations discussed with us was how much connecting with people who care can help those in distress. All of these resources were created in conjunction with our clinical and academic partners,” Facebook says in a statement.

The new feature will be rolled out in the United States in the next couple of months, Facebook reveals, while the rest of the world should get it shortly after that.