Taking care of suicidal young people on social networks: The Elios project

The specific vulnerability of adolescents and young adults to suicidal behaviors is widely acknowledged. However, the persistent lack of access to care services within this population remains a major obstacle to prevention. Although it has brought with it specific risks, the spread of social networks offers new ways of overcoming the traditional barriers to help-seeking, owing to the specific modes of interaction and communication that they imply. The project Equipe en Ligne d’Intervention et d’Orientation pour la prevention du Suicide (Elios) (Online Team for Referral and Intervention in Suicide Prevention) aims to use the digital possibilities of social networks to promote access to care for young suicidal people. It consists of a team of online clinicians who will provide suicidal young people with first-line assistance by intervening directly on social media platforms thanks to innovative and integrated technological solutions. Specifically, Elios will deliver online counseling, motivational support, crisis intervention, and referral to conventional care services. The project is currently implemented as part of a randomized controlled trial. If proved efficient, it could be generalized as an ordinary offer of care.