Morocco Launches Mental Health Initiative as Nearly Half of Adults Report Psychological Issues

In response to a written question submitted by parliamentarians, the Minister of Health, Khalid Aït Taleb, confirmed the CESE figures on the mental health of Moroccans and at the same time pointed out the lack of resources and announced the development of a project to meet the needs of 48.9% of Moroccans aged 15 and over who are experiencing or have experienced signs of mental and psychological disorders. 26% of Moroccans have also suffered from depression, 9% from anxiety during their lifetime, 5.6% from mental disorders and 1% from schizophrenia, the minister said.

However, the resources are insufficient to reverse the trend. The data communicated by Ait Taleb shows that Morocco has less than one psychiatrist per 100,000 inhabitants, while the world average is 1.7/100,000 inhabitants and the European average reaches 9.7, reports the Arabic-language daily Al Akhbar. The public sector has only 14 social workers, without a legal framework governing the practice of the psychology specialist profession.

In terms of infrastructure, the situation is just as bleak: Morocco has only 6.43 beds per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to a world average of 13.3 beds and a European average of 47.3 beds. In detail, the kingdom has 25 psychiatric clinics integrated into public hospitals, with a total of 825 beds, 11 specialized, university and public hospitals, with 1,341 beds, and 3 university health services responsible for the treatment of addiction disorders and with barely 46 beds.

To address this lack of resources, Ait Taleb’s department has taken important measures and procedures, by integrating mental health into public hospitals and primary health care facilities. It intends to review the judicial deposit procedure. A national multisectoral strategic plan dedicated to mental and psychological illnesses is currently being developed. Initiated in partnership with the French Development Agency, this project, which will be implemented over the period 2023-2030, will be launched in 2023.