Pinterest is rolling out a new set of self-help tools which are designed to assist users who are dealing with mental health issues by offering quick exercises that they can follow along with, right from the app.

As explained by Pinterest:

As a result, people will see a prompt to explore these resources when they search for things like "stress quotes," "work anxiety" or other terms that indicate they might be feeling down. The experience is not meant to replace professional care but may help a person if they need support.

Pinterest says that its users perform "millions of searches" related to emotional health on the platform every year, which is what prompted this new initiative. 

Whenever a user clicks on one of the listed resources, they'll be given a guided swipeable collection of steps to take to go through each exercise.

Mental health has become the cause that social media applications should focus on in recent times, with several reports indicating that use of social media is connected to psychological damage. Apart from the direct effects, social platforms now reach millions worldwide, thus increasing their potential to help someone in need, especially vulnerable people who feel alone and might be finding social apps the primary way to reach out.

That, in itself, is a great initiative from Pinterest. As Pinterest notes, these simple tools aren't aimed at replacing professional care; queries about self-harm will still be linked to off-platform resources. But these quick, instant response activities may help users in need at different times, providing another means of easing the stress, guidance, rather than just keyword search results.

I wouldn't be surprised to see other platforms follow suit in the coming months.

The new tools will begin to roll out to US users in the coming weeks, with broader expansion to follow.