We have always been inspired by the power that real friendships have in supporting health and happiness. This is particularly true for our community. New research on Snapchatters’ experiences with mental health confirms what many studies have shown that friends are the first people they turn to when dealing with stress, anxiety, depression and many other emotional challenges.
We believe Snapchat can play a unique role in empowering friends to help each other through these difficult moments. In March, we rolled out Here For You, a feature that provides Snapchatters with expert resources when they search for topics related to mental health and well-being.
Today we are introducing additional features designed to further support Snapchatters and their friends through premium content and partnerships:
We are partnering with Headspace, a global leader in meditation and mindfulness, to offer their best-in-class content and resources directly in Snapchat. In the coming weeks, Headspace will offer guided mini-meditations and tools for helping our community check in on their friends.
We believe compelling content can help demystify and de-stigmatise mental illness, and earlier this year we launched a documentary series from Barcroft titled “Mind Yourself” that followed the mental health journeys of 10 young people. Today we’re announcing a new Snap Original debuting later this year. In “Coach Kev” from Laugh Out Loud, Kevin Hart, inspired by personal experiences, becomes a coach and mentor, sharing positivity and wisdom with anyone aspiring to live their best life.
We’re also making it easier for Snapchatters in crisis to access resources in our app. Our in-app reporting tools allow Snapchatters to alert us when they worry their friends are at risk for self-harm, and we notify that friend of the help available to them. We’re now significantly improving that experience, by immediately showing Snapchatters how they can get connected with emergency services, message a trained counsellor through Crisis Text Line or talk live with someone at the National Suicide Prevention Alliance.
We look forward to building on these efforts and developing more ways to empower friends to help friends.