Social media site Twitter on Friday introduced in Taiwan a mental health feature that seeks to prevent self-harm or suicide, with the help of Taiwan Lifeline International, the tech company said in a statement.
Twitter said that it first introduced the feature in 2019. It displays information about suicide prevention hotlines when users type in self harm or suicide-related keywords when searching through its Web site.
Users in Taiwan would see information referring them to the 1995 24-hour hotline run by Taiwan Lifeline International, along with a message reading: “Help is available.”
Users would have the option of clicking a link to the organization’s Web site, which lists the contact information of its branches around Taiwan.
The feature is now available in more than 30 countries or regions, Twitter said.
Citing data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare that show suicide was the second-leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 44 in Taiwan last year, Twitter said that it has a responsibility to provide information and resources to those seeking help in any circumstance.
The social media site also shared its observation that Taiwanese seem increasingly willing to talk about mental health issues, revealing that discussions on the topic on Twitter in Taiwan rose by 20 percent last year, an increase also recorded in other parts of Asia.
People are experiencing anxiety and depression mainly because they have lost of control in their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the drastic changes throughout society, said Taiwan Lifeline International President Huang Chun-sen (黃俊森) in the statement.
He called for everyone to pay more attention to people who are vulnerable to mental health issues.
In Taiwan, people can also call the 1925 service run by the Ministry of Health, or 1980 hotline run by the Teacher Chang Foundation if they are in need of counseling or assistance.
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