Facebook unveils new Messenger tools for World Mental Health Day

If only talking to friends about mental health was as easy as pushing a button.

In honor of World Mental Health Day, Facebook has launched two new tools on Messenger created to do just that. Produced in consultation with the World Health Organization, the tools were designed to help facilitate difficult conversations concerning mental health.

There's a camera filter called “Let’s Talk,” which users can apply when talking to friends who may be reluctant to ask for help. The filter will be accessible on Messenger and Stories for a week following World Mental Health Day. There's also a pack of stickers that say things like "Listening Listening Listening" and "Talk to Me." Users can send these in private messages to initiate conversations and express feelings or emotions that Facebook identified as potentially difficult to convey in the context of mental health.

"People use social media and messaging in different ways," Antigone Davis, Facebook’s global head of safety, told Mashable. "Some are public; some are private. We wanted to create an opportunity to get people over the hump when talking about mental health."

For every sticker sent, Facebook will donate $1 to a select group of mental health organizations around the world, including the Trevor Project and the Crisis Text Line, for a total contribution of up to $1 million.

Facebook representatives acknowledge that speaking publicly on personal matters will likely always be difficult for some, and the tools are meant to ease that difficulty — and to help individuals find support. Consumer research contracted by Facebook from a third party suggested that messaging can lessen the difficulty of speaking on emotional and serious subjects, which informed its decision to implement these tools on Messenger. Facebook found that 80 percent of people who use messaging apps felt they could be completely honest when communicating via messaging.

"When people are struggling with their mental health, starting a conversation, in whichever way feels most comfortable, can be the first step to getting care," explained Dévora Kestel, director of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Department at the WHO.

Davis said similarly that Facebook Messaging lets individuals take time to respond, which means they can be more open. "There's a large amount of stigma around mental health, so we wanted to create brief and simple ways of indicating that you might be feeling alone," she explained. "We wanted to make it easier to initiate these conversations."

If you want to talk to someone or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. For international resources, this list is a good place to start.