Orygen and The Jed Foundation Launch #chatsafe in the U.S., First Evidence-Based Guidelines to Help Young People Talk Safely Online About Suicide
The guidelines, which were originally launched in Australia by Orygen as the world's first guidelines to support young people in communicating safely online about suicide, are now available in the United States
NEW YORK, April 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, in collaboration with the Stanford Psychiatry Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing, and The Jed Foundation (JED) announced the U.S. launch of #chatsafe: A young person's guide for communicating safely online about suicide.
The #chatsafe guidelines were originally developed and released by Orygen in August 2018 in Australia. The impact of the guidelines in Australia prompted JED and the Stanford Psychiatry Center for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing to collaborate with Orygen to adapt the guidelines for a U.S. audience. These guidelines are the first of their kind to be informed by evidence and were developed in partnership with young people.
The three organizations will host a Facebook Live panel discussion at Facebook New York on Wednesday, April 17 at 4:30 p.m. EDT that will be streamed via The Mighty, a digital health community, for people to learn more about #chatsafe and the importance of communicating safely about suicide.
"The #chatsafe guidelines have already helped thousands of Australian teens and young adults use social media to talk safely about suicide-related thoughts, feelings and behaviors and we are thrilled that they now have the potential to reach even more teens and young adults in the U.S.," said Associate Professor Robinson. "We believe that by equipping young people with the skills to have these conversations safely, young lives will be saved."
#chatsafe is intended to support young people and can be useful for those who support young people, such as parents, educators and mental health professionals. The guidelines provide advice on how to communicate on memorial posts, tips on appropriate language and images to use, how to share personal experience with suicidal behavior, and how to respond to someone who might be considering suicide. The adapted guidelines also provide information and resources relevant to young people living in the U.S.
"Teens and young adults in the U.S. face significant challenges, which may be further intensified by the presence of social media in their daily lives," said Dr. Victor Schwartz, Chief Medical Officer at JED. "These guidelines take a 21st century approach to talking safely about suicide and will help fill a critical unmet need for our nation's young people."
Help-seeking advice
In an emergency, please call 911 or visit your nearest Emergency Room.
For 24/7, free, confidential support:
Crisis Text Line
Text "HELLO" to 741741
The Lifeline
Call 800-273-8255
Tips for journalists on responsible coverage of mental health stories: Action Alliance Framework for Successful Messaging
Watch the panel: facebook.com/TheMightySite
Learn about #chatsafe: orygen.org.au/chatsafe
About Orygen
Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health is the world's leading research and knowledge translation organisation focusing on mental ill-health in young people.
At Orygen, our leadership and staff work to deliver cutting-edge research, policy development, innovative clinical services, and evidence-based training and education to ensure that there is continuous improvement in the treatments and care provided to young people experiencing mental ill-health.
Our work has created a new, more positive approach to the prevention and treatment of mental disorders, and has developed new models of care for young people with emerging disorders.
This work has been translated into a worldwide shift in services and treatments to include a primary focus on getting well and staying well, and health care models that include partnership with young people and families.
About The Jed Foundation (JED)
JED is a national nonprofit that exists to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation's teens and young adults. We're partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention programming and systems. We're equipping teens and young adults with the skills and support to grow into healthy, thriving adults; and we're encouraging community awareness, understanding and action for young adult mental health.
Learn more at jedfoundation.org. Check out our programs including: JED Campus (jedcampus.org), Set to Go (settogo.org), ULifeline (ulifeline.org), Half of Us (halfofus.com) and Love is Louder (loveislouder.com).
Connect with JED: Email | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn
Media contacts
Kim Taylor
National Media Coordinator, Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health
+61 432 570 651
[email protected]
Meg Woodworth
Y&R PR for JED
212-303-2306
[email protected]
SOURCE The Jed Foundation; Orygen
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