Mental Health is an important topic to understand and discuss. During these past years, mental health issues have exacerbated and the overall rate of suicides due to depression and anxiety have also increased on a global scale. The year 2020 is considered as one of the worst years in the history of mankind. With a major pandemic, the world got to see so many things that the humans of modern times had not even imagined. And these trying times added more fuel to the already deteriorating mental health of millions of people. Due to COVID-19, millions of people lost their lives, many people saw their financial status crumbling down like a pile of cards. The helplessness and uncertainty that the pandemic brought, stirred different mental health issues amongst people.
Due to the pandemic, mobile app usage also increased globally. Understanding the need of the hour and the role they can play; famous tech companies are trying to address the mental health issues through their platforms now. Recently, Facebook has announced that it is introducing several initiatives across all its apps, including Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Facebook is collaborating with different authorities that address mental health issues. This kind of collaboration aims to provide the users with an outlet through the platform to get support for themselves from resources that can actually help them with their struggles.
Facebook already works hand in hand with health authorities like NAMI, It’s OK to Talk, Kids Help Phone, etc. for the support of its users who are going through financial stress, or who have lost someone dear and now are trying to cope with the grief, or for people who are trying to manage substance abuse. Now, Facebook is introducing a centralized resource center, Emotional Health, on its main app and across all its other apps. This resource center will provide tips, information, and guidance from experts from leading health authorities and relevant information from mental health officials.
Facebook is going to make this center globally available to everyone. For the time being, some of the important steps that are being taken include:
‘The WHO Digital Stress Management Guide,’ which is now available on the WHO Health Alert bot on WhatsApp.
WHO has designed a sticker pack for Messenger to allow conversations around mental health issues that can eventually lead people to receive support.
Self-harm and suicide prevention through the Crisis Support Over Messenger in partnership with Crisis Text Line and Facebook.
Facebook has collaborated with the JED Foundation and Korea Suicide Prevention Center to provide emotional well-being guides for people of different ages and going through various emotional vulnerabilities on Instagram.
Facebook has announced that more issues will be addressed with the help of its partnerships with other mental health authorities too, over time.
Read next: Facebook seems to be working on adding a 'close friend' like inclusion list for Stories
Due to the pandemic, mobile app usage also increased globally. Understanding the need of the hour and the role they can play; famous tech companies are trying to address the mental health issues through their platforms now. Recently, Facebook has announced that it is introducing several initiatives across all its apps, including Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Facebook is collaborating with different authorities that address mental health issues. This kind of collaboration aims to provide the users with an outlet through the platform to get support for themselves from resources that can actually help them with their struggles.
Facebook already works hand in hand with health authorities like NAMI, It’s OK to Talk, Kids Help Phone, etc. for the support of its users who are going through financial stress, or who have lost someone dear and now are trying to cope with the grief, or for people who are trying to manage substance abuse. Now, Facebook is introducing a centralized resource center, Emotional Health, on its main app and across all its other apps. This resource center will provide tips, information, and guidance from experts from leading health authorities and relevant information from mental health officials.
Facebook is going to make this center globally available to everyone. For the time being, some of the important steps that are being taken include:
‘The WHO Digital Stress Management Guide,’ which is now available on the WHO Health Alert bot on WhatsApp.
WHO has designed a sticker pack for Messenger to allow conversations around mental health issues that can eventually lead people to receive support.
Self-harm and suicide prevention through the Crisis Support Over Messenger in partnership with Crisis Text Line and Facebook.
Facebook has collaborated with the JED Foundation and Korea Suicide Prevention Center to provide emotional well-being guides for people of different ages and going through various emotional vulnerabilities on Instagram.
Facebook has announced that more issues will be addressed with the help of its partnerships with other mental health authorities too, over time.
Read next: Facebook seems to be working on adding a 'close friend' like inclusion list for Stories
