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Facebook releases suicide prevention tools after mental health organisation consultation

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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

February 26, 2015 | 2 min read

Facebook has announced new suicide prevention tools to make the website a safer, more caring place for users.

The social network worked with mental health organisations Forefront, Now Matters Now, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Save.org, in addition to consulting with people who had experience with self-injury or suicide, to best tackle those in distress on the site.

A statement released jointly by Rob Boyle, Facebook product manager and Nicole Staubli, Facebook community operations safety specialist, read: “For those who may need help we have significantly expanded the support and resources that are available to them the next time they log on to Facebook after we review a report of something they’ve posted.

“Besides encouraging them to connect with a mental health expert at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, we now also give them the option of reaching out to a friend, and provide tips and advice on how they can work through these feelings.”

The tools will roll out to US users first across the next few months, with similar tools to be applied internationally in due course.

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