Watching a loved one commit suicide is one of the most painful experiences to go through. But what if you could discover and predict the decision before he or she attempts it? Many people who consider suicide often leave signs on Facebook, and some even leave a note on Facebook explaining the reasons behind the decision. But what if the system the person relies on for expressing themselves could help prevent the suicide attempt?
That goal is why University of Washington's mental health organization (Frontline: Innovations In Suicide Prevention) and Facebook are teaming up to help make Facebook into another tool for helping individuals who may be considering suicide. "As the world's biggest social network, with more than 1.39 billion users, Facebook is uniquely positioned to provide online resources and support to help suicidal people," according to a press release. For example, if a friend sees a post that he or she believes is proof that a person will commit suicide, he or she will be able to report the individual to Facebook.
This report will activate a series of responses on the reporter's side. The reporter may be encouraged to message the suicidal poster, contact another Facebook friend about getting involved, or even talk to a trained professional about how to handle the situation. Facebook will then review the post. If Facebook believes that it is enough evidence that an individual is in distress, then a series of screens will appear the next time the user logs on, offering suggestions for help. These suggestions will include videos from Forefront's Now Matters Now program, the number for a suicide hotline and more.
According to Forefront, this system isn't designed to act as a suicide prevention program, but as a way to empower family and friends to get involved.
"Often, friends and family who are the observers in this situation don't know what to do....They're concerned, but they're worried about saying the wrong thing or somehow making it worse," a Facebook representative said. "Socially, mental illness and thoughts about suicide are just not something we talk about."
The initiative between Facebook and Forefront started a year after Facebook hosted a summit about how tech companies could more effectively stop suicides. The company was already working with experts on how to prevent online bullying but it wanted to do something similar for possible suicide victims. Facebook started working with Forefront last fall.
Facebook's suicide prevention system was released today to a small group of users in the U.S., but it will be slowly expanded in the next few months.
