United Arab Emirates

Mental health professionals in the UAE have welcomed a legal amendment that decriminalises suicide, saying it could make people more willing to disclose suicidal thoughts and seek help before reaching a crisis point.

The change is particularly important for people who survive suicide attempts, according to Fatima Simi Anwar, general manager of Bloom Beyond. She said survivors had previously risked encountering police before receiving medical treatment, placing questions of legal responsibility ahead of their immediate safety.

“The first questions were about culpability, not safety,” Anwar said. She said this contributed to survivors concealing what had happened, families advising them on what to say and hospitals recording fewer cases. “We lost the window of highest risk.”

Removing legal consequences should allow care to take precedence, psychologists said. Nailah Mahmood, a clinical psychologist at the German Neuroscience Centre, said people may be more open about suicidal thoughts and experiences when they know that disclosure will not expose them to trouble. “Disclosing such information will not get the client in trouble,” she said, adding that the change could strengthen trust.

Expected changes in reporting and care

Anwar said the amendment could alter how suicide risk is identified and addressed in several settings. Attempts that may previously have been described as accidents because of fears of persecution could be reported more accurately, allowing medical teams to provide more appropriate care.

She also expects more people to seek help while suicidal thoughts remain thoughts, rather than after an attempt. “If saying ‘I have been having thoughts of ending my life’ no longer carries legal exposure, more people will say it while it is still a thought,” Anwar said.

Families may no longer feel they must choose between seeking support and protecting a relative from having a record, she said. The amendment could also make doctors, teachers and employers less hesitant to ask directly about suicidal thoughts because they no longer fear legal implications.

Fabian Saarloos, a clinical psychologist at the German Neuroscience Centre, said reported cases could initially rise as people become more comfortable disclosing their experiences. “That is because people will feel safer disclosing their experiences,” he said. “The real measure of success will be whether more people access appropriate care earlier and experience better outcomes.”

Calls for services to respond quickly

The anticipated increase in help-seeking will require mental health services to provide timely and effective support, the experts said. Anwar called for clinics to establish rapid-access routes for people in crisis.

“A person who finally asks for help and is given an appointment six weeks away has been failed at the exact moment the law was meant to protect,” she said.

She said frontline clinicians should be trained to ask clear questions, assess risk and develop collaborative safety plans. Such training should not be limited to mental health professionals, Anwar added, but should also reach emergency staff, paediatricians, teachers, human-resources managers and labour-camp welfare officers.

Saarloos said services should be more affordable and culturally responsive, with multilingual assistance for the UAE’s diverse population. He also highlighted the need for continuity of care, including structured follow-up after emergency presentations and clear routes for patients to return to treatment.

Different groups face different pressures

The psychologists said expatriate workers, adolescents and young adults may require approaches tailored to their circumstances.

Anwar said expatriate workers can face isolation from family, debt, job insecurity and long working hours, alongside a feeling that there is nobody available to speak with in their own language. She also pointed to fears about how a police record could affect visa renewal. Saarloos said this group needs accessible care and clear explanations about confidentiality.

For adolescents, warning signs may be less direct. Anwar said adults should be alert to withdrawal, declining school performance, irritability, altered sleep or eating patterns, giving away possessions, or an unexpected period of calm after a difficult time. Saarloos recommended “age-appropriate, non-judgmental support, with appropriate involvement of parents or trusted adults when safe and clinically indicated.”

University students and people beginning their careers may face academic and financial pressure, relationship breakdowns, questions about identity and, in some cases, being away from home for the first time. Anwar said they are “the group most likely to search for help online at 2am rather than call anyone.”

The experts said the legal amendment alone will not immediately create confidence in mental health services. “How widely and how plainly this is communicated will matter as much as the amendment itself,” Anwar said.

Mahmood said suicidal thoughts stem from “helplessness and hopelessness.” With suitable support, she said, people can “build a functional and meaningful life.”