At YouTube, we take the health and well-being of all our creators and viewers seriously. Awareness and understanding of mental health is important and we support creators sharing their stories, such as posting content discussing their experiences with depression, self-harm, or other mental health issues.
However, we do not allow content on YouTube that promotes suicide, self-harm, that is intended to shock or disgust, or poses a considerable risk to viewers.
What to do if you find this content
If you believe someone is in danger:
- Get in touch with local emergency services for help
- Flag the video to bring it to our attention
If you find yourself being negatively affected by any mental health, suicide, or self-harm related content you come across, know that there is support available and you’re not alone. In the next section you can find a list of resources and contact information for organizations that can offer advice.
What to do if you need support
If you are depressed, having thoughts of suicide, or self-harming, know there is help and you’re not alone. While coping with painful emotions, many people might self-harm or experience suicidal thinking. Talking to a mental health care provider can help determine if you have a mental illness that requires care. It can also help you identify healthy, effective coping strategies and develop skills to manage difficult feelings.
Below is a list of organizations dedicated to helping those in need in different countries and regions. These are recognized crisis service partners. Partnerships vary by country/region.
The websites findahelpline.com and www.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines could help you find organizations for regions not listed here.
| Australia |
13 11 14 1800 55 1800 |
|
| Argentina | Centro de Asistencia al Suicida - Buenos Aires |
135 (desde Capital y Gran Buenos Aires) (011) 5275-1135 (desde todo el país) |
| Brazil | Centro de Valorização da Vida | 188 |
| Belgium |
0800 32 123 1813 |
|
| Bulgaria | Български Червен Кръст | 02 492 30 30 |
| Czech Republic | Psychiatrická léčebna Bohnice - Centrum krizové intervence | +420 284 016 666 |
| Denmark | Livslinien | 70201201 |
| France | S.O.S Amitié | 09 72 39 40 50 |
| Finland | Suomen Mielenterveysseura / Kansallinen kriisipuhelin | 09-2525-0111 |
| Germany | Telefonseelsorge | 0800-1110111 |
| Greece | ΚΛΙΜΑΚΑ | 1018 801 801 99 99 |
| Hong Kong | 香港撒瑪利亞防止自殺會 | 2389 2222 |
| Hungary | S.O.S. Telefonos Lelki Elsősegély Szolgálat | 06 1 116-123 |
| India | आसरा AASRA |
91-9820466726 |
| Ireland | Samaritans | 116 123 |
| Israel | ער"ן - עזרה ראשונה נפשית | 1201 |
| Italy | Samaritans Onlus | 800 86 00 22 |
| Japan | こころの健康相談統一ダイヤル | 0570-064-556 |
| New Zealand | Lifeline New Zealand | 0800 543 354 |
| Netherlands | Stichting 113Online | 0900-0113 |
| Singapore | Samaritans of Singapore | 1800-221-4444 |
| Spain |
93 414 48 48 717 003 717 |
|
| South Korea | 한국자살예방협회 | 1393 |
| Taiwan | 生命線協談專線 | 1995 |
| Thailand | กรมสุขภาพจิต กระทรวงสาธารณสุข | 1323 |
| United Kingdom | Samaritans | 116 123 |
| United States of America |
1-800-273-8255 / Chat |
Community Guidelines for posting suicide or self-harm related content
YouTube users should not be afraid to speak openly about the topics of mental health, suicide, and self-harm in a supportive and non-harmful way.
However, there are times when content is created that is sensitive and may pose a risk for some users. When you create content that contains suicide or self-harm related topics, take into account the possible negative impact of your content on other users, especially minors and users who may be sensitive to this content.
To protect and support your viewers and other users, please follow the Community Guidelines below when creating content related to suicide or self-harm. Not following these Community Guidelines may result in a strike, removal of your content, or other restrictions to protect users. Learn more.
This Community Guidelines policy applies to videos, video descriptions, comments, live streams, and any other YouTube product or feature. Please note this is not a complete list.
Don't post the following content:
- Content promoting or glorifying suicide or self-harm
- Instructions on how to die by suicide or engage in self-harm
- Content related to suicide or self-harm that is targeted at minors
- Graphic images of self-harm
- Visuals of bodies of suicide victims unless blurred or covered so they are fully obscured
- Blurred imagery in combination with details or visuals that show the method of suicide
- Videos showing the lead-up to a suicide, or suicide attempts and suicide rescue footage without sufficient context
- Content showing participation in or instructions for suicide and self-harm challenges (e.g. Blue Whale or Momo challenges)
- Suicide notes or letters without sufficient context
In some cases we may restrict, rather than remove, suicide and self-harm content if it meets one or more of the following criteria (for example, by placing an age-restriction, a warning, or a Crisis Resource Panel on the video). Please note this is not a complete list:
- Content that is meant to be educational, documentary, scientific, or artistic
- Content that is of public interest
- Graphic content that is sufficiently blurred and doesn’t provide details or visuals of the method used to perform suicide or self-harm
- Dramatizations or scripted content, which includes but is not limited to animations, video games, music videos, and clips from movies and shows
- Detailed discussion of suicide or self-harm methods, locations and hotspots
- Graphic descriptions of self-harm or suicide
Best practices for creators posting content about suicide or self-harm
We recommend using these best practices to protect your viewers from harm and distress:
- Avoid showing the suicide victim, and respect their, and their families’, privacy. Learn more
- Use wording that is positive and supportive, and focuses on recovery, prevention, and stories of hope
- Include information and resources for suicide and self-harm prevention and coping strategies. Try to include it in both the video itself and the description of the video
- Do not use sensationalist language or dramatic visuals
- Provide context, but avoid discussing how the victim died by suicide. Do not mention the methods or locations
- Blur content that contains images of suicide victims. You can blur your video with the Editor in YouTube Studio. Learn more
What happens if content violates this policy
If your content violates this policy, we’ll remove the content and send you an email to let you know. If this is your first time violating our Community Guidelines, you’ll likely get a warning with no penalty to your channel. If it’s not, we may issue a strike against your channel. If you get 3 strikes within 90 days, your channel will be terminated. You can learn more about our strikes system here.
We may terminate your channel or account for repeated violations of the Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. We may also terminate your channel or account after a single case of severe abuse, or when the channel is dedicated to a policy violation. You can learn more about channel or account terminations here.
Finally we may also limit your access to live streaming if you suggest that you’ll live stream content that will violate our Community Guidelines. Learn more about restrictions on live streaming.
Warnings and supportive resources
YouTube may show features or resources to users when content contains suicide or self-harm topics. For example:
- A warning on your video before it starts playing, indicating that it contains content relating to suicide and self-harm
- A panel under the video containing supportive resources such as phone numbers of suicide prevention organizations