With Its Newest Feature, Instagram Is Making Mental Health A Priority

An estimated one in five adults in the United States experiences mental illness in a given year. Still, talking about mental illness can often be a cultural taboo, making it hard to openly discuss.

Thankfully, more and more social media platforms are breaking the ice and making mental health a priority. With its latest feature, Instagram is making the latest push in this area, as the photo sharing app has added a new addition to offer support for those going through a difficult time.

The new tool allows for users to anonymously notify Instagram of posts that show signs of possible self-harm or depression. Instagram then sends a message to that person offering different options to get help.

The messages, created in partnership with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the National Eating Disorders Association, were carefully made to be supportive rather than invasive. The initial message a person receives reads, “Someone saw one of your posts and thinks you might be going through a difficult time. If you need support, we’d like to help.”

The feature also redirects to a support page for anyone searching for hashtags associated with self-injury. Instagram has already banned many hashtags that promote self-harm such as “#thinspo,” a hashtag that has been associated with the glorification of eating disorders.