Facebook Has A New Tool That Helps With Suicide Prevention

Facebook and other forms of social media are oftentimes a window into our minds, even though friends, relatives or even we might know realize that a sarcastic joke is actually related to an inner struggle.

Officials of the social network announced on Wednesday that in the next few months, a post that indicates suicidal or harmful thoughts can be flagged by friends or loved ones if they think the user is in danger. At this time, Facebook will be alerted.

"We have teams working around the world, 24/7, who review any report that comes in," the company wrote, according to NBC News. "They prioritize the most serious reports, like self-injury, and send help and resources to those in distress."

The individual who posted the troubled status will receive a Facebook message, noting that someone was concerned about them, along with options for talking with a friend or speaking to a mental health expert via the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Over the next few months, the service will be bringing out the new option in the U.S. and in other countries in the not-so-distant future. 

Statistics show that nearly 1 in 6 high school students has seriously considered suicide, while 1 in 12 has attempted it, according to a semi-annual survey on youth risk behavior published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2012, and among 15- to 24-year-olds, suicide accounts for 20 percent of all deaths annually.

Someone's online appearance can also pose a delicate balance when it comes to suicide risk factors. Cyber-bullying remains common.