LIFELINE ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS

Amanda Lehner

Online Communications Manager

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-TALK (8255)

alehner@mhaofnyc.org

Seeking Health Information Online

The Pew Internet Project says:

• People turn to the internet for health information when the stakes are high and the connection needs to be fast.

• That between 75% and 80% of internet users have looked online for health information.

• One in five internet users has looked for mental health information.

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Social Media• Free and easy to use• Viral: Word of mouth referrals,

increased visibility• Facilitating a conversation,

disseminating information and promoting change

• Creates a community of supporters-- identify, engage and commit

• Radical transparency = approachability• Perceived anonymity= reaching out

Lifeline Online Communications

• Lifeline Website:

www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

• Blog: www.crisiscentersblog.com

• Social Networking Sites

• Lifeline Gallery:

www.lifelinegallery.org

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Lifeline Online Communications – Social Media

• MySpace - 3,000 friends: www.myspace.com/800273TALK

• YouTube - Over 25,000 views: www.youtube.com/800273TALK

• Facebook - 1,700 fans: www.facebook.com/800273TALK

• Twitter - 470 followers: www.twitter.com/800273TALK

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Online Partnerships

• MySpace – outreach, resource and donated ads

• Facebook – outreach, resource

• YouTube – resource, Google Grants

• Help.com – automated response

Lifeline Website Traffic

• In Q4 2008 average monthly unique visitors (160,683) increased 117 percent compared to Q4 2007 (74,041).

Lifeline Traffic Sources 2008

Online Crisis• Lifeline defines "online crisis" as someone in

suicidal crisis who is reaching out online, or someone who knows a friend (and sometimes stranger) that is threatening suicide online

• Lifeline receives online crisis reports via: Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, Lifeline Gallery, and Lifeline website

• Respond according to Online Crisis Protocol: Person is helped via email

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Online Postvention

• Work with community and schools to post resources on profiles of the deceased

• Use existing social network to identify and reach the network most affected by the death

• View comments to identify people at risk

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In the News

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Current Challenges

• People reaching out online are given

hotline #

– Some do not want to call

– There is no way to track how many are

calling the hotline

• No online standards or best practices

• Online crises increasing, no resources

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Future Opportunities

• Increase visibility of services on the internet, raise awareness

• Link up with other health services and mental health services to build and connect an online network of care

• Offer online support:– Online crisis chat, online warning signs,

online natural gatekeepers training

• Evaluation and research