Social media giants Facebook and Twitter have announced initiatives in India related to World Mental Health Day.
On Saturday, Facebook announced tie-ups with three Indian firms – Tata Institute of Social Sciences, It’s Ok To Talk and actor Deepika Padukone‘s The Live Love Laugh Foundation – to provide mental health helplines and resources catering to the local needs of users.
Facebook India head, Ajit Mohan, announced the new initiatives through a blog on Saturday. “Covid-19 has exacerbated mental health challenges around the world. As we continue to adjust to new routines, challenges of isolation and health concerns, we all need support to take care of our own mental and emotional wellbeing along with that of our families, friends, colleagues, and those around us,” he wrote.
Earlier, the social media company had launched a new global emotional health resource centre to provide credible information to people about mental health. The resource will be accessible through WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram as well. The resource centre also includes an initiative to prevent suicide and self-harm to provide Crisis Support Over Messenger.
Microblogging platform Twitter had announced earlier that it has put together information by “credible mental health authorities” that users can follow to ensure their wellbeing. Twitter has tied up with White Swan Foundation, Love Live Laugh Foundation and Fortis, which have curated lists of resources that can be accessed by users to access authentic information about mental health.
“Globally, Twitter has a list of international resources where people can go to find more information and details of relevant organisations within their respective countries, and has activated an emoji to amplify conversations around mental health,” the company said in a statement.
Facebook’s photo and video sharing platform, Instagram, will also be hosting conversations around mental health. “On Instagram, we know that people can feel a pressure to present a perfect image of themselves. But we also know that many people have found communities of support and inspiration. We’ll also host a listening session with mental health experts to understand how they view social comparison on Instagram and what programs, resources and tools we can put in place to help people — especially young people — manage these pressures,” the company announced in blog.
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