Facebook Adds Features to Help Prevent Suicide

It will connect people with counselors via Facebook chat
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 13, 2011 4:12 PM CST
Facebook Adds Features to Help Prevent Suicide
Facebook is adding features designed to help people thinking about suicide.   (AP Photo/dapd, Joerg Koch)

Facebook rolled out changes today designed to quickly connect people on the site who are thinking about suicide with counselors, reports AP. The site won't hunt for suicidal postings, but friends could report them to Facebook via a link next to the comment. Facebook would then contact the person and invite them to immediately talk to a counselor through the chat messaging system. It will also provide a number to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

"One of the big goals here is to get the person in distress into the right help as soon as possible," says a Facebook official. (More Facebook stories.)

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