Samaritans launches Facebook drive to encourage support for suicidal friends
Samaritans has teamed up with Facebook to create a pioneering new scheme allowing the 30 million people on Facebook in the UK to get help for a friend they believe is struggling to cope or feeling suicidal.
People concerned about a friend will be able to tell Samaritans via Facebook’s Help Centre (http://www.facebook.com/help), where they can report specific content such as status updates or wall posts. Facebook will then put Samaritans in touch with the distressed friend to offer their expert support.
This initiative runs in tandem with an awareness campaign through Samaritans’ Facebook Page, giving advice on supporting vulnerable friends such as how to spot the signs of distress and how to start a difficult conversation. Also on the Page will be messages from high profile celebrities backing the campaign.