Teens who experience thoughts of suicide are far more prone to express suicidal thoughts through social media outlets such as Facebook than call a suicide hotline or contact a support group, according to a pair of recent Ohio State University studies. Researchers believe prevention services should focus more energy on having a robust presence on Facebook and other networking sites.

“Obviously this is a place where adolescents are expressing their feelings,” says Scottye Cash, an associate professor of social work at Ohio State. “It leads me to believe that we need to think about using social media as an intervention and as a way to connect with people.” (UPI)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.