More Than 1 in 10 Students in Moroccan Study Found to Be at Risk of Suicide
More than half of the 1,168 students surveyed in northern Morocco screened positive for at least one mental health disorder. Depression, anxiety and suicide risk featured in a study published on September 28.
The researchers met with students from several institutions at Abdelmalek Essaâdi University. The interviews were conducted face-to-face by trained health professionals using a version of the MINI, a standardized screening tool, in Moroccan Arabic. The sample included 690 women and 478 men, with an average age of 20.6.
According to the study published in Discover Public Health, 55.6% of participants met the criteria for at least one of the disorders assessed. Mood disorders affected 38.5% of students, including 24% who met the criteria for a current major depressive episode. Anxiety disorders affected 35.6%, including 18% with generalized anxiety.
Suicide risk found in more than 1 in 10 students
The interviews also identified suicide risk in 11.2% of participants. Among all the students surveyed, 5.3% said they had previously attempted suicide.
Female students were more likely than male students to screen positive. In the researchers’ statistical model, engineering programs, as well as law and economics programs, were also associated with higher rates than multidisciplinary institutions, which served as the reference group.
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The authors note that the survey provides a snapshot at a single point in time and that the tool used is based on DSM-IV criteria. They call for stronger prevention, early screening and psychological support at universities.
