Last week, the woman locked herself in the family's accommodation unit and set it alight.
Security guards rescued her before flames destroyed the building.
The woman has now been placed under the care of the Immigration Department controlled mental health unit on Nauru.
Shirdel said his 30-year-old wife, Fatima, did not keep her desperation about life on Nauru secret.
He said there had been previous attempts at self harm, but not like last week.