--- title: "Psych News Alert: Facebook Joins Fight Against Military Suicides" description: The world's most popular social-networking site is putting its immense scope to work in the cause of trying to reduce the troubling numb... image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/soldier%20looks%20at%20photo_88597888-Jun-24-2025-10-26-15-4466-PM.jpg --- 5/15/12 12:00 AM # Facebook Joins Fight Against Military Suicides ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/facebook-joins-fight-against-military.html) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/facebook-joins-fight-against-military.html) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/facebook-joins-fight-against-military.html) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/facebook-joins-fight-against-military.html) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/facebook-joins-fight-against-military.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/soldier%20looks%20at%20photo_88597888-Jun-24-2025-10-26-16-5771-PM.jpg?width=200&height=133&name=soldier%20looks%20at%20photo_88597888-Jun-24-2025-10-26-16-5771-PM.jpg)](https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/soldier%20looks%20at%20photo_88597888-Jun-24-2025-10-26-14-5620-PM.jpg) The world's most popular social-networking site is putting its immense scope to work in the cause of trying to reduce the troubling number of suicides by military personnel and veterans. Facebook announced earlier this month that it is offering specialized suicide-prevention services for veterans, active-duty members of the military, and their families. The initiative was developed in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs and the nonprofit organization Blue Star Families, founded by military families to help other such families adjust to the challenges of military life. Through Facebook, friends and families of service members and veterans who are concerned about the mental health or suicide potential of their loved ones can connect with a crisis line through which VA personnel can respond via phone, online chat, or text message. They can also send military-related mental health and counseling information to their loved ones via Facebook.  U.S. military officials have over the last several years initiated several programs to try to stem and reverse a steadily increasing number of service members who have taken their own lives. To read more about efforts to reduce the epidemic of suicides in the military, see *Psychiatric News*, [here](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=1096602) and [here](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=108552). (image: Straight 8 Photography/Shutterstock.com) [suicide](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicide), [military suicide](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/military-suicide) ## Related posts [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/US_Marine_110953310-Jun-24-2025-07-37-20-3398-PM.jpg?height=200&name=US_Marine_110953310-Jun-24-2025-07-37-20-3398-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/12/defense-bill-could-help-troops-mental.html) [military suicide](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/military-suicide), [military mental health](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/military-mental-health), [Department of Veterans Affairs](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/department-of-veterans-affairs), [Department of Defense](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/department-of-defense) ## [Defense Bill Could Help Troops' Mental Health](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/12/defense-bill-could-help-troops-mental.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 12/6/12 12:00 AM The National Defense Authorization Act just passed by the U.S. Senate includes several new... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/12/defense-bill-could-help-troops-mental.html) [American Psychiatric Foundation](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/american-psychiatric-foundation), [military mental health](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/military-mental-health) ## [American Psychiatric Foundation Grantee Honored by Time Magazine](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/04/american-psychiatric-foundation-grantee.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 4/18/12 12:00 AM Time magazine today honored psychologist Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D., as one of its 100 most... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/04/american-psychiatric-foundation-grantee.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/soldier%20looks%20at%20photo_88597888-Jun-24-2025-06-42-11-1108-PM.jpg?height=200&name=soldier%20looks%20at%20photo_88597888-Jun-24-2025-06-42-11-1108-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/army-efforts-fail-to-reverse-suicide.html) [suicide in military](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicide-in-military) ## [Army Efforts Fail to Reverse Suicide Epidemic](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/army-efforts-fail-to-reverse-suicide.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 8/21/12 12:00 AM Despite making commitments to hire hundreds more psychiatrists and mental health professionals and... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/army-efforts-fail-to-reverse-suicide.html) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert" }, "dateModified" : "2025-06-24T22:29:08.020Z", "datePublished" : "2012-05-15T04:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Psych News Alert: Facebook Joins Fight Against Military Suicides", "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/soldier%20looks%20at%20photo_88597888-Jun-24-2025-10-26-15-4466-PM.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/05/facebook-joins-fight-against-military.html", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg" } } } ```