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Facebook New Feature Helps User Prevent Suicides

| Feb 26, 2015 01:18 PM EST

Facebook

The social media networking site Facebook disclosed on Wednesday its new feature that can prevent suicide.

According to News Everyday, to develop the Facebook new feature, the company has partnered with mental health organizations Forefront, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Now Matters Now and Save.org.

The Facebook feature works when a friend posts a status, photo or anything that indicates he might want to harm himself, a concerned friend can click on an arrow on the post to report it. Then the Facebook will offer options including to contact a friend and a trained professional at a suicide hotline for support.

"If someone on Facebook sees a direct threat of suicide, we ask that they contact their local emergency services immediately and ask them to report any troubling content to us," wrote Rob Boyle Facebook Product Manager and Nicole Staubli, the Community Operations Safety Specialist at Facebook Safety.

Boyle and Staubli also added that the company has teams monitoring 24/7 and who will review the report that come in.

The said reports will be prioritized from the most serious case such as self-injury and send help and resources that needs help.

The feature has two options, one is talking to someone and the other one is tips on how the user can overcome the feelings such as simple relaxation techniques like drawing, baking and more.

Meanwhile, Facebook new feature is only available for now in the United States, and it will be rolled out over the next couple of months for those outside the U.S.

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