Flag it' for a great start

Been a tad whiney about Mondays and probably even the days after? Feeling the blues even post a big break? Have those‘bleh’ feelings / nobody cares if I’d be gone’ statuses become a constant? Does this sound like your everyday story or of somebody you know? Perhaps it’s a sign of an underlying mental issue. But, on the brighter side,  you can now ‘Flag it’ to show your support  — Facebook, which rings in a hefty 140 million users in the country, recently launched a series of suicide prevention tools, with AASRA and Live Love Laugh Foundation founded by Deepika Padukone, for its Indian users to avail.  We dig deeper into how the idea is panning out...

What’s in it for you:  With over 15 suicides committed every hour, and a startling attempt committed every three seconds, it comes as no surprise that a chunk of mental issues go unnoticed. A depression survivor, actress Deepika Padukone shares, “Suicide is a complex issue but the causal relationship between mental health and suicide is well established.The rate of suicide amongst the youth in India is one of the highest in the world. On a personal level, I’m happy to partner with Facebook in this suicide prevention initiative. It is especially important to reach out to young people out there who are feeling depressed and encourage them to reach out for help. Society as a whole needs to be educated about this so that we are sensitised to signs of depression in our friends, neighbours and relatives and can guide them towards expert assistance.”

How it works: The newly rolled out features enable a  streamlined approach in seeking help. “If someone posts something on Facebook that makes you concerned about their well-being, you can reach out to them directly — and you also can also report the post to us. We have teams working around the world, 24/7, who review reports that come in. They prioritise the most serious reports like self-injury and send help to those in distress. And, as of today, the online resources will include an expanded set of options. People can now choose to reach out to a friend, contact a helpline, or see tips,”  elucidates Anna Chandy, a transactional analysis practitioner and chairperson, Board of Trustees, The Live Love Laugh Foundation .

Yay or nay?:  While the tools and educational resources on the social media site went live early this month, it has already garnered much talk. And the city’s folks seem kicked about the whole idea. “Mental illnesses are often shrugged off as a bad mood or a bad day. Interestingly, our Facebook profiles are often the truest record of the kind of day we’re having or the mood we’re in. But at the same time, a lot of morose and suicidal posts and statuses often go unnoticed. This is mainly because we’re not sure about what exactly can be done. So, I believe there might be a wee bit of apprehension at first, but it’s going to help dig skeletons out of the closet,” opines Madhavi Srinivas Anand, a clinical psychology professor and psychologist.

Albeit communication is key; the success of the concept lies in effective following up, believes the younger lot. “It’s  a good idea to come up with something on a social media platform, as it’s probably the only place where we express our views. But I hope there’s adequate privacy because not everyone will want to use it in the same manner. But with stress reaching an all new high,  this is what every may  use for sure,” concedes Yash Chhabria, a city-based youngster and social worker.