MANILA, 24 October 2019 – As part of Twitter’s work around World Mental Health Day, we are pleased to announce the launch of #ThereIsHelp notification service for suicide and self harm in Thailand and the Philippines, in partnership with Mental Health PH (@mentalhealthph).
#ThereIsHelp is a notification service on Twitter which provides valuable mental health resources to vulnerable people, and encourages them to reach out and get help when they need it.
When people search on Twitter for terms associated with suicide or self harm in Thailand or the Philippines, the top search result will now include a notification in Thai or Tagalog encouraging them to reach out for help. The notification also provides the contact details of @mentalhealthph in the Philippines, as well as the National Center for Mental Health in the Philippines.
We’ve significantly expanded the reach of #ThereIsHelp for self harm and suicide since it was launched less than two years ago. This notification service is now available in 17 countries including Australia, Brazil, Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Ireland, Italy, the Philippines, Spain, Sweden, Singapore, Thailand, the U.K. and the U.S, with plans for further expansion.
As part of this partnership, Twitter is also providing @Samaritans_Thai and @mentalhealthph with #AdsForGood grants to help them reach more people.
Sep 10, 2019, is #WorldSuicidePreventionDay w/ the theme, "Working Together to Prevent Suicide".
Much can be done at the individual, community & national level to prevent suicide.Tara, #UsapTayo this SEPTEMBER on the roles of SELF, SOCIETY, and SYSTEM for #SuicidePrevention pic.twitter.com/tsn1yelGzm
— MentalHealthPH (@mentalhealthph) September 8, 2019
The focus for World Mental Health Day on October 10 2019 was suicide prevention and according to the World Health Organisation, almost 800,000 people die due to suicide every year – or one person every 40 seconds. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds globally.
At Twitter, we believe that addressing mental health requires collaboration across all of society — public, private and not-for-profit — and we recognise that we have a role and responsibility to help ensure that people can access and receive support on our service when they need it most.
Suicide prevention remains a complex challenge but we believe it’s important that people who are struggling are seen and heard so that they can get the help they need.
The various communities on Twitter are a source of positive support and are thriving; encouraging people who may be struggling to avoid self harm, and to reach out for professional help.
In addition, NGOs often use Twitter to raise awareness of their important services and to reach out to vulnerable people who they may otherwise not have contact with. The presence of these organisations is indicative of a trend we see globally in the way mental health service providers are using Twitter in order to meet the changing needs of society, especially to reach a younger audience. Increasingly, we see mental health organisations offering critical services via digital channels and social media platforms that are relevant, widely used and reflective of the way society communicates today.
We have a dedicated reporting form for people threatening suicide or self harm, and a specialised team who review these reports. When we receive reports that a person is threatening suicide or self-harm, we will contact the reported individual and let them know that someone who cares about them identified that they might be at risk. We will provide the person with online and hotline resources, and encourage them to seek help.
We also provide information on our Help Centre both for people who may be experiencing thoughts of suicide and self harm, and for people who are concerned about another account holder.
We believe #ThereIsHelp and Twitter’s other partnerships and initiatives in this area make a valuable contribution to the ongoing and larger efforts required to address this serious issue. Let’s protect each other.
