Police have called on parents to look for changes in personality in their children after a teenage girl, who had a book about manic depression, is believed to have taken her own life.
Maj Gen Sheikh Sultan Al Nuaimi, Ajman's commander-in-chief, issued a statement on Sunday urging parents to be more vigilant about the films their children watch, the games they play online and the books they read after a 16-year-old Arab girl is believed to killed herself in Al Rawda on Friday.
He did not disclose any further details but said CID officers found a book that deals with mental health issues next to the girl.
The book was taken as evidence and police referred the body to Khalifa Hospital. An investigation into the death has been launched.
Maj Gen Al Nuaimi said he did not believe the book encouraged the girl to contemplate suicide, but parents should be aware of their children's mental health.
He said: “The book might have been one of many other factors because, when we took a look at the introduction, the author said the book can affect one’s emotional state."
He called on parents to "be careful and check what their children read, which websites they visit, who their friends are".
"If we want to protect out teenage children, we have to keep close to them at all times," he said.
Get help
Recognise an emergency
Feeling suicidal, believing one’s self to be in a crisis, experiencing a severe panic attack or having a breakdown are all emergencies that warrant a visit to your closest emergency room. The staff will take it from there.
Pay attention, take action and don’t put it off.
Start with your family doctor or visit a clinic. Get help from a psychiatrist, psychologist or therapist, and the sooner the better, so treatment can start and reassurance can set in.
Call or contact a hotline
• One such service is Twitter account Suicide Help Dubai (@SuicideDubai), who welcome private messages on Twitter and are already ready to help. Or you can call 800 4634.
• The suicide hotline of the Indian Workers Resources Centre (IWRC), an Indian Embassy-run service that provides free counselling services to expatriates, can be reached at 800 46342.
Contact one of these centres across the UAE
• The American Center for Psychiatry and Neurology with clinics in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, 02 697 9999.
• The Carbone Clinic in Dubai for children and adolescents, 04 453 9810.
• The German Neuroscience Center in Dubai, 04 4298 578.
• The Psychiatry and Mental Health Center at the Saudi German Hospital in Dubai, 04 389 0000.
• Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital in Dubai, 04 344 4010.
• Maudsley Child and Adolescent International Hospital in Abu Dhabi, 02 666 2655.
• The Neuron Psychological Care Center in Abu Dhabi, 02 626 0774.
