Aftertheir20-year-oldsonhangedhimselfduringhiswinterbreakfromtheUniversityofArizonafiveyearsago,DonnaandPhilSatowwonderedwhatsignstheyhaveoverlooked,andstartedaskingotherstudentsforanswers.Whatgrewfromthisso

　　Aftertheir20-year-oldsonhangedhimselfduringhiswinterbreakfromtheUniversityofArizonafiveyearsago,DonnaandPhilSatowwonderedwhatsignstheyhaveoverlooked,andstartedaskingotherstudentsforanswers.

　　WhatgrewfromthissoulsearchingwasUlifeline(www.Ulifeline.org),aWebsitewherestudentscangetanswerstoquestionsaboutdepressionbyloggingonthroughtheiruniversities.Thesitehasbeenadoptedasaresourcebyover120colleges,whichcancustomizeitwithlocalinformation,andover1.3millionstudentshaveloggedonwiththeircollegeID’s.

　　“ItisaverysolidWebsitethatraisesawarenessofsuicide,de-stigmatizesmentalillnessandencouragespeopletoseekthehelptheyneed,”saidPaulGrayson,thedirectorofcounselingservicesatNewYorkUniversity,whichstartedusingtheservicenearlyayearago.

　　ThemaincomponentoftheWebsiteistheSelf-screeningprogramdevelopedbyDukeUniversityMedicalCenterthattestsstudentstodeterminewhethertheyareatriskfordepression,suicideanddisorderslikeanorexiaanddrugdependences.Besideshelpingstudents,theservicescompilesanonymousstudentdate,offeringadministratorsanimportantwindowontothementalhealthofitscampus.

　　Thesiteprovidesuniversityuserswithlinkstolocalmentalhealthservices,acatalogofinformationonprescriptiondrugsandsideeffects,andaccesstoGoAskAlice,avastarchivedevelopedbyColumbiaUniversitywithhundredsofresponsestoanonymouslypostedinquiresfromcollegestudentsworldwide.Forstudentsconcernedabouttheirfriends,thereisasectionthatdescribeswarningsignsforsuicidalbehavioranddepression.

　　Yetitishardtodeterminehoweffectivetheserviceis.Theanonymityoftheonlineservicecanevenplayoutasanegative.“Thereisnosubstituteforpersonalinteraction(个人互动才能解决)，”saidDr.LannyBerman,executivedirectoroftheAmericanAssociationofSuicidology,basedinWashington.

　　Ulifelinewouldbethefirsttosaythatitsserviceisnoreplacementforanactualtherapist.“Thepurposeistofindoutiftherearesignsofdepressionandthendirectpeopletotherightplaces,”saidRonGibori,executivedirectorofUlifeline.

　　Mrs.Satow,whoisstillinvolvedwithUlifeline,calledit