Facebook and Embrace join forces on World Suicide Prevention Day

BEIRUT: Every year on September 10, millions of people come together on World Suicide Prevention Day to shine a light on the importance of mental health and safety. On this basis, Facebook has joined forces with their long-term suicide prevention partner in Lebanon: Embrace. 

In light of the recent explosion in Beirut, Embrace is lending a hand to those who need our support the most through their most recent initiative, “7a22ak Te7kina” which loosely translates to, “Talk to us; it’s your right.”

“On August 4th, everyone lost something, be it the life of a loved one, a home, a business, or even a memory... We all lost something that may or may not be brought back. This collective trauma is severely taking a toll on us and has not only broken windows and walls; it shattered our souls,” Hiba Dandachli, Communications Advisor at Embrace, told Annahar. 

The campaign, which reemphasizes the right of every individual affected by the blast to speak up and voice their thoughts and feelings, encourages people to connect with Embrace’s trusted team of volunteer operators via their national emotional support and suicide prevention helpline, Embrace Lifeline (1564).

Dandachli shared with Annahar that part of the ongoing strategic communication plan at Embrace, and in pursuit of wider scale awareness and support, the organization wanted to reinforce a sense of community and launch a campaign that serves as a reminder that we are always ready to listen and help during these challenging times. 

Because the world is dominated by social media, the partnership of Embrace and Facebook to support the an ongoing campaign “Talking Saves Lives,” which was launched last year has been the first suicide prevention helpline in Lebanon and the Middle East, and is available in Facebook’s Safety Centre. 

Callers are provided with advice and support to anyone suffering from suicidal thoughts, and are offered help over other mental health issues, including how to support loved ones that might be suffering. The helpline is available in both English and Arabic.

Suicide prevention tools have been available on Facebook for more than 10 years and were developed in collaboration with mental health organizations such as Save.org, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Forefront and Crisis Text Line, and with input from people who have personal experience thinking about or attempting suicide. The global pandemic, which has been associated with a number of mental health challenges including suicidal ideation, has made it more important than ever to create pathways for those seeking help.

“In the past several months, we’ve worked closely with global suicide prevention experts who have advised us on the best approach to support users in distress and provided access to local crisis helplines through our COVID-19 Information Center. We’re also continuing our close collaborations with a number of organizations from around the world, including Embrace in Lebanon who have recently accelerated their efforts to support individuals impacted by the Beirut explosion.”  Liz Lagone, Policy Lead, Health & Well-Being at Facebook told Annahar.

In 2016, Facebook expanded the availability of the latest tools globally, with the help of over 70 partners around the world and improved how they work based on new technology and feedback from the community.

Embrace, founded in 2013, is an NGO whose mission is to support individuals in distress and shed light on mental health, while also working on eradicating the taboos attached with it.