Twitter India on Thursday launched a dedicated search prompt for resources on mental health and suicide prevention on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day.
It is part of Twitter’s initiative aimed at “spreading awareness and encouraging action to prevent suicide and self-harm” and has been launched in partnership with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences(NIMHANS). The search prompt #ThereIsHelp will provide information and updates from authoritative sources on the subject of ‘suicide prevention’.
“When someone searches for terms associated with suicide or self harm, the top search result will be a prompt directing them to the relevant information and sources of help available on Twitter. This is an expansion of Twitter’s #ThereIsHelp prompt, which was specifically put in place for the public to find clear, credible information on critical issues,” Twitter explained in an official release.
The search prompt will appear when a user types a keyword related to the issue in the explore tab on the app or in the search bar on the home page in Twitter’s desktop version. The search prompt will be available on iOS, Android, and on
BN Gangadhar, Director, NIMHANS, said: “We are happy to work towards the cause of suicide prevention. We realise that each one of us has a responsibility in ensuring there is increased visibility for authoritative information on this subject, as it has the potential to save lives. This dedicated search prompt will increase our ability to be compassionate towards people around us, and help them in need by letting them know #ThereIsHelp.”
Mahima Kaul, Head of Public Policy, Twitter India said, “As the world grapples with an unprecedented public health crisis, we are committed to ensure that anyone searching for information around mental health concerns on Twitter has access to credible resources. By launching this dedicated search prompt with NIMHANS, we welcome another opportunity to amplify awareness and help resources around suicide prevention on Twitter, and contributing to the ongoing efforts required to address this serious issue.”
The microblogging platform also launched a custom emoji globally in partnership with the International Association for Suicide Prevention. The emoji, which looks like an orange ribbon, is the international symbol for World Suicide Prevention Day. The emoji will appear when people Tweet with the hashtags #WorldSuicidePreventionDay, #WSPD, #WSPD2020, #SuicidePrevention through September 25 and is activated in 23 languages, Twitter said.