There is no denying that Facebook has become an integrated part of our interactions with social media. We use it to share both the good and the bad of our personal lives.

From time to time, the bad can overshadow the good, and these negative thoughts and feelings can spill over into social media posts as a cry for help. Recently, Facebook announced it would be launching a new tool to provide important resources to users if they see an alarming post from a Facebook friend.

The social media website has teamed up with organizations such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Save.org, Now Matter Now and Forefront: Innovations in Suicide Prevention, which is a nonprofit created by the University of Washington's School of Social Work. This new Facebook tool is currently available to users in the U.S. with rollout to other countries in the upcoming months.

So, how does it work? If a user sees a post from a Facebook friend indicating he/she may do self-harm, that user can than report the post to Facebook. Once reported, the user will have the option to contact the friend who made the post, contact another friend for support or contact a trained professional at a suicide helpline for guidance.

Facebook will then review the reported post. If the post seems like a message of distress, then the person will see a message on their next login offering tips and advice on how to get help.

"Keeping you safe is our most important responsibility on Facebook," said Rob Boyle, Facebook product manager, and Nicole Staubi, Facebook community operations safety specialist, in a recent post on Facebook.

This is not the first effort by Facebook to raise awareness about suicide prevention. Since 2011, Facebook users have had the option to report potentially suicidal posts that may lead to self-harm. The previous option required users to upload screenshots or link the post to the company's suicide prevention page.

While these efforts show stride in social media roles in increasing awareness in suicide prevention, one organization heeds a word of caution.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention says regardless of intention, "the words we choose can sometimes sound harsh or judgmental ... it is best to follow the lead of those who have been affected by suicide when talking about this sensitive subject."

According to AFSP, 90 percent of all people who die by suicide suffer from mental illness. Many of them go undetected.

A study conducted by the Geisel School of Medicine at Darmouth showed that people with mental illness used popular social media websites to provide and receive naturally occurring peer support.

"It helps them to overcome fears associated with living with mental illness, and it also creates a sense of community among these individuals," the researchers say.

Facebook is hoping this new feature can help provide the community of support needed by those with mental illness.