The world online can be cruel. Usually, emotions can’t be described in a few characters that could be difficult to know if someone is hurting or harming themselves.
According to the World Health Organization, almost 800,000 people die due to suicide every year—or one person every 40 seconds. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-olds globally.
As part of Twitter’s work around World Mental Health Day, the social networking site recently launched the #ThereIsHelp notification service for suicide and self-harm prevention in Thailand and the Philippines, in partnership with Mental Health PH (@mentalhealthph).
#ThereIsHelp is a notification service on Twitter which provides valuable mental health resources to vulnerable people and encourages them to reach out and get help when they need it. When people search on Twitter for terms associated with suicide or self-harm in Thailand or the Philippines, the top search result will now include a notification in Thai or Tagalog encouraging them to reach out for help.
The notification also provides the contact details of @mentalhealthph in the Philippines, as well as the National Center for Mental Health in the Philippines.
“We’ve significantly expanded the reach of #ThereIsHelp for self-harm and suicide since it was launched less than two years ago. This notification service is now available in 17 countries including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Ireland, Italy, the Philippines, Spain, Sweden, Singapore, Thailand, the UK, and the US, with plans for further expansion,” Twitter said in a statement.
“Suicide prevention remains a complex challenge but we believe it’s important that people who are struggling are seen and heard so that they can get the help they need.”