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[/caption]“One of the big goals here is to get the person in distress into the right help as soon as possible,” said Fred Wolens, Facebook’s manager for public policy.
When someone searches the word “suicide” in Google and Yahoo, the two search engines always provide the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline as the first result. Facebook used to e-mail users or their friends to contact law enforcement if they believed someone was going to harm themselves, but by providing a space where someone can instantly have someone to talk to, Facebook has gone above and beyond in its fight to end online bullying and suicide.
“The science shows that people experience reductions in suicidal thinking when there is quick intervention,” said Lidia Bernik, the Lifeline’s associate project director. “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.”
A few suicide attempts have been thwarted, too, thanks to Facebook. A Pennsylvania man alerted local police that his friend in California was going to commit suicide, and the authorities were able to apprehend the friend in time before he had a chance to hurt himself. The California man was committed to a hospital.
The Lifeline will be available to users 24 hours a day, with crisis workers always ready to chat.
“We have effective treatments to help suicidal individuals regain hope and a desire to live and we know how powerful personal connections and support can be,” said the U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin. “Facebook and the Lifeline are to be commended for addressing one of this nation’s most tragic public health problems.”
Nearly 100 Americans die by suicide each day, and the U.S. records almost 36,035 suicide cases per year, according to Benjamin’s office.
By Dave Smith
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