Anti-suicide prevention plan must be replicated

10-point initiative by a UAE school should be considered a blueprint to deal with the problem

The pain of suicide is a truly heavy burden, and even more so when those who choose to take their own life are still young — at a time when life should hold so much promise. Sadly too, schools across the UAE have witnessed such tragedies. Students at the Dubai United International School have had to deal with the deaths of two students last week. But instead of battling the negative and recriminating emotions that naturally follow any such event, this one private school is tackling the issue head-on in a proactive and positive manner.

The school has issued a 10-point intervention programme focussing on counselling and guidance and has circulated it to students and parents alike. What has helped students deal with the double tragedy is a focus on getting all students to talk about their feelings, with professional counselling sessions organised by school administrators. The programme also includes action points for teachers through re-orientation and retraining to help identify early signs of depression. Going hand in hand with that, the school is also beefing up its anti-bullying and child-protection policies.

No one can truly ever know what drives anyone to the point where they no longer feel that their life is worth living, that death would be a relief, or how deep feelings of hopelessness are ingrained. But that does not mean that we passively accept the tragedy of suicide as unaffected observers.

This 10-point programme certainly constitutes a very positive response to life — one that is clearly well thought-out by both school administrators and professional psychologists. It’s a model that should be replicated and adopted across all our schools.