Instagram's new tools will help people who are at risk of self-injury or suicidal tendency

Photo sharing website Instagram on Thursday launched new tools to support people struggling with self-injury or suicidal thoughts globally, including in India. The tools, that offer options such as talk to a friend or contact a helpline, provide critical resources for people who may be thinking about self-injury. Users observing threat of suicide or self-injury can contact on emergency services along with other options to reach out to the person. “We worked with mental health organisations, primarily ‘Forefront’ led by researchers at University of Washington, the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and Dr Nancy Zucker, Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Duke University,” Instagram said in a statement. Other organisations including The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Save.org (US), Samaritans (UK) and beyondblue and headspace (Australia) provided valuable input. “We also consulted with people with real-life experience with self-injury or suicide,” the statement added. Instagram has also partnered with over 40 helpline organisations around the world to support people associated with self-injury or suicidal tendency. In addition, if someone searches for a hashtag associated with self-injury, Instagram offers support options before they are able to view the content. IANS