Samaritans and Facebook team up to offer online support
Samaritans has teamed up with Facebook to create a new facility allowing Irish people on Facebook 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 (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.
Celebrities backing the campaign will also post messages on the page.
Samaritans chief executive Catherine Johnstone said: "We want to remind people that if a friend says that life isn’t worth living, they should always be taken seriously.
"Facebook is a part of daily life for so many of us and we must make sure that people online have support when they need it."
