Prevention of suicides: Can chatbots, other conversational agents help?

Suicide rates in young men have increased by 34%, and in young women by 76%

Australia’s first suicide prevention chatbot for the family and friends of those in crisis was launched last week by Lifeline, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to crisis support and suicide prevention.

The chatbot, developed in partnership with Twitter, is called #BeALifeline Direct Message (DM) Chatbot. It seeks to help the family and friends of those at risk to quickly and easily start a conversation about suicide.

Users must have a Twitter account to converse with the chatbot, which directs people to Lifeline resources, including contact details for telephone or online support, advice and information.

This is a big shift in the