Google has developed a suicide hotline onebox for Pakistan, which allows users to connect with a suicide prevention helpline directly from the search results page.
Users from Pakistan who type in terms like “suicide support” or “how can I commit suicide” will now be directed to the ‘Umang Pakistan’ helpline.
Umang, a mental health helpline certified by the World Health Organization, provides support to vulnerable Pakistanis suffering with mental health concerns.
Umang and Google have formed the suicide hotline as a cooperation to assist combat the county’s growing suicide rate.
According to WHO statistics, Pakistan has between 130,000 and 270,000 suicide attempts every year. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in search interest in mental health issues.
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Topics like “anxiety,” “depression,” and “suicide” surged on Google Trends from the country in 2020-21.
“We understand that time is of the utmost when seeking assistance, especially for individuals who are contemplating suicide. “We believe that this tool will assist vulnerable people in locating assistance in times of need,” said Farhan Qureshi, Google’s Regional Director for Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
Kinza Naeem, the CEO of Umang Pakistan, stated that mental health is the most ignored issue of our time. She argued that in Pakistan, more than 40% of the population suffers from mental depression.
“We owe Google a huge debt of gratitude for this crucial collaboration.” I am confident that by working together, we will be capable of reaching the highest number of people in need of mental health care and break the stigma associated with it across the country.”
This Search update will be available on both desktop and mobile devices, including Android and iOS.
