Suicide, friends and Facebook

Samaritans in the UK has worked with Facebook to create a new scheme allowing Facebook users to get help for a friend if they believe they are struggling to cope or feeling suicidal.
People concerned about a friend will be able to tell Samaritans via Facebook’s Help Centre (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 friend they are concerned about to offer expert support.
Catherine Johnstone, chief executive of Samaritans, said: “As a friend you are better placed to know whether someone close to you is struggling to cope or even feeling suicidal. We want to remind people that if a friend says that life isn’t worth living, they should always be taken seriously.”
Samaritans is running a Facebook advertising campaign to encourage people to Like their Page at facebook.com/samaritanscharity where they can find updates on the charity’s work and how to become a supporter.