Your Facebook Posts Reveal A Lot About Your Mental Health: Here’s How to Protect Yourself and Others

Facebook’s new Safety Center has all the tools you need.

by Danielle Sinay

Researchers at Cambridge University have found that Facebook photos, “likes” and status updates can provide insight into users’ mental health – especially when it comes to teens.

According to the study, 92% of adolescents use Facebook everyday, and tend to reveal significantly more about themselves online than off. This means that what people post on social media is a much stronger indicator of of how they’re really feeling than what they say or do in real life.

Research also found that Facebook isn’t just helpful when it comes to diagnosis – it provides support to those who suffer from mental illness, too. Facebook users with Depression and Schizophrenia said that the site actually helped them cope with their feelings, and inspired them to socialize.

This study couldn’t have come a better time, as Facebook just announced the relaunch of their new and improved Safety Center. The hub provides tools to combat cyber-bullying and harassment, allowing users to report abusive posts with great ease.

The Safety Center is also equipped with resources on how to detect and report concerning posts and behavior regarding mental illness, or threats of self-harm and/or suicide. 

If you don’t believe someone is a danger to themselves or others, utilize the Facebook Safety Center for information on what steps to take next. But if someone on Facebook is showing signs of self-harm or suicidal thoughts, contact law enforcement or a suicide hotline immediately.

If you see something concerning elsewhere on social media, see the Twitter Support Center, Instagram Help Center and this Tumblr Safety Information.

You have the power to save someone’s life — with just the click of a button.

Use it.

If you are or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1?800?273?TALK (8255) or Live Online Chat.