California: Facebook wants to help prevent suicide in real time as live video and messaging grow in popularity.

On Wednesday, the tech firm announced new tools so users can report a video in which someone is live-streaming a suicide attempt or self-injury. Users will also be able to reach out to the person directly, and Facebook says the person streaming the video will see options to contact a help line, reach out to a friend or view tips.

The social media giant is releasing the new tools after a number of suicides were recently streamed on Facebook Live and made news headlines.

In January, a 33-year-old actor in Los Angeles County took his own life on Facebook Live. That same month, a 14-year-old girl in Florida ended her life on Facebook Live.

"Facebook is in a unique position - through friendships on the site - to help connect a person in distress with people who can support them," the company wrote in a blog post.

The tech firm is also allowing users to chat with a crisis support organisation such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on Messenger, and trying to make reporting a possible suicide easier through the use of artificial intelligence.

Facebook made live video available to all of its users last year, but as more people use the feature, the tech firm has also grappled with violence, suicides and crimes streamed in real time.

In February, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote about the challenges in a 5,800-word letter about the tech firm's global ambitions. Artificial intelligence, he wrote, could help flag content that runs afoul of Facebook's online rules.

"There have been terribly tragic events - like suicides, some live-streamed - that perhaps could have been prevented if someone had realised what was happening and reported them sooner," he wrote.

The tech firm is already testing a way in the United States to identify posts that are very likely to include thoughts of suicide by recognising patterns. Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, Facebook is also testing a way to make the option of reporting a post about "suicide or self-injury" more prominent if the posts have been previously flagged for that reason in the past.

Facebook said suicide-prevention tools have been available on the social media site for more than 10 years, but it has been trying to improve these features for its 1.9 billion users. The tool for live video looks identical to one the company released last year that allowed users to flag a post and provide resources to someone who could be suicidal.

Globally, one person dies by taking his or her own life every 40 seconds, according to the World Health Organization.

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If you are troubled by this report, experiencing a personal crisis or thinking about suicide, you can contact:

Lifeline 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au

Suicide Call Back Line 1800 659 467

BeyondBlue 1300 224 636, beyondblue.org.au

Mensline 1300 789 978

KidsHelpline 1800 551 800