Albany County will soon roll out a mobile application that will provide education and links to resources that will increase awareness about suicide and suicide prevention.

“The news of [Robin] Williams’ death has dominated social and traditional media. He brought joy and laughter to millions, but faced depression. What we can take from his death is that it is important to talk openly about mental illness, depression and suicide and to do all we can to get help to those in need of it,” said county Executive Daniel McCoy in a statement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that suicide was the 10th leading cause of death in 2011.

“National experts tell us that suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and that someone dies from suicide every 15 minutes,” said Albany County Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Giordano in a release fro the county executive’s office. “Together we must do a better job helping our family, friends and loved ones who may be experiencing depression. We must learn more about mental health challenges that many face each day, understand the warning signs, and reduce stigma by communicating care and understanding to those in our lives that need our help. Most importantly, we must understand that depression is treatable and that suicide is preventable.”