A new law amendment in the UAE that decriminalises suicide is being hailed by psychologists in the country for making it easier for those with mental health issues to seek help.
The change in how suicide attempts are treated matters, said Fatima Simi Anwar, general manager at Bloom Beyond. Previously, people who survived suicide attempts could find themselves facing the police before receiving medical care.
"The first questions were about culpability, not safety," she said. As a result, some survivors hid what had happened, families coached them on what to say, and hospitals under-recorded cases. "We lost the window of highest risk."
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With the legal consequences removed, psychologists expect the focus to shift towards treatment, allowing people to speak more openly about suicidal thoughts and experiences. "Disclosing such information will not get the client in trouble," said Nailah Mahmood, clinical psychologist at the German Neuroscience Centre, pointing out that the move will build trust.
What will change?
According to Simi, the amendment could bring four key changes to how mental health professionals identify and respond to suicide risk.
1. More honesty in hospitals: Some suicide attempts are described as accidents for the fear of persecution. After the law change, survivors are more likely to tell doctors the truth, so they get the right care.
2. Earlier disclosure: The biggest change will be among people who are thinking about suicide but have not acted. "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," Simi said.
3. Families will stop hiding crises: Relatives often faced a choice: get help or protect the person from a record. For many, this amendment to the law will clear that dilemma
4. Professionals will ask more directly: Doctors, teachers and employers hesitated to ask about suicidal thoughts because they feared the legal consequences. That fear is now removed.
Fabian Saarloos, clinical psychologist at the German Neuroscience Centre added that there will be an initial increase in reported cases. “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."
Are services ready?
If the amendment encourages more people to seek help, mental health services must be prepared to respond quickly and effectively.
According to Simi, clinics should offer rapid-access pathways. "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 added that all frontline clinicians, should be trained to ask directly, assess risk and write a collaborative safety plan and that training should extend beyond the mental health sector to emergency staff, paediatricians, teachers, HR managers, and labour-camp welfare officers.
Meanwhile, Fabian added that services should be made more affordable and culturally responsive, including offering multilingual support for the UAE’s diverse population. “Continuity of care is equally important, with structured follow-up after emergency presentations and clear pathways back into treatment,” he said.
Different risk groups
The psychologists pointed out that expatriate workers, adolescents, and young adults face different risk factors and require different approaches.
Expatriate workers often face risk rooted in a lack of social support, such as isolation from family, debt, job insecurity, long hours, and "a sense that there is no one here to talk to in their own language." Simi stressed that the fear of what a police record could mean for a visa renewal. Fabian added that this group requires "accessible care and clear explanations of confidentiality."
Adolescents rarely walk into a clinic and announce they are suicidal. Simi describes the signs adults need to notice — withdrawal, a drop in school performance, irritability, changes in sleep or eating, giving things away, or a sudden calm after a stormy period. Fabian recommended "age-appropriate, non-judgmental support, with appropriate involvement of parents or trusted adults when safe and clinically indicated."
Young adults — university students and people in their first jobs — face academic or financial pressure, relationship breakdowns, identity questions, and distance from home, often for the first time. Simi noted they are "the group most likely to search for help online at 2am rather than call anyone."
'Building a meaningful life'
The experts agreed that laws change fast, but trust does not. "How widely and how plainly this is communicated will matter as much as the amendment itself," Simi said.
Fabian said that the real test was “whether more people access appropriate care earlier and experience better outcomes."
Nailah added that suicidal thoughts comes from "helplessness and hopelessness." With the right help, she says, people can "build a functional and meaningful life."