Facebook rolls out updated tools to help stop suicides and self-harm in Singapore

Facebook rolls out updated tools to help stop suicides and self-harm in Singapore

SINGAPORE - Facebook has updated its resources to include new tools that will help users across the world reach out better to friends who might be experiencing suicidal or self-injury thoughts.

First announced on Tuesday (June 14), the tools were developed in collaboration with mental health organisations, along with input from people who have personal experience with self-injury or suicide.

In Singapore, Facebook has partnered with local non-profit suicide prevention centre Samaritans of Singapore to launch the tools.

With them, users can now reach out directly to those who post something on Facebook that raises concern about their well-being.

They can also report the post to Facebook, which has teams working around the clock to review the reports that come in.

The teams will prioritise the most serious reports and send help and resources to those in distress.

Among the expanded resources now available include the options to reach out to a friend, contact a helpline or view tips that will help cope with different problems.

"In rare cases of clear imminent risk of suicide, Facebook reaches out to local authorities so that they can do a welfare check to provide support to the person and hopefully prevent their death," the social media platform said in response to queries from The Straits Times.

More information on how to support yourself or a friend can be found on Facebook's Help Center here.


This article was first published on June 17, 2016.
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