Suicide is becoming a serious problem in China, but nonprofit organizations are increasingly offering solace to desperate people, as Wang Hongyi reports from Shanghai.

Unlike casual Web surfers who browse for information or fun, Qingsong Xiaomiao (her web nickname) carefully checks the latest posts from her circle of online friends, looking for indications that any of them is potentially suicidal.

The 21-year-old, who declined to give her real name, is severely depressed as a result of a "huge psychological trauma", which she is unwilling to talk about. The problem has caused her so much pain that she has attempted to end her life nine times.