Social media could be teen suicide prevention tool

New research has found that young adults who are feeling suicidal tend to show signs through text messages and social networking sites, demonstrating how important it is for family and friends to pay attention to those signs. Oftentimes teens post how they are feeling or share song lyrics that may hint at suicide. “It leads me to believe that we need to think about using social media as an intervention and as a way to connect with people,” says Scottye Cash, lead author of the study and associate professor of social work at Ohio State University. Pay attention to risk factors for suicide such as depression and substance abuse, which may be clues that someone we love may need our help. 

Consumer Affairs, 6/26/13