Suicides multiply in Morocco … and fingers indicate mental health



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Experts believe that the difficult economic and social conditions caused by the Corona pandemic and the feeling of hopelessness and marginalization are all factors that have multiplied the numbers of this phenomenon, from which neither children nor religious are spared.

Last year, the World Health Organization sounded the alarm and said that every 40 seconds there was a case of suicide in the world, and it also said that suicide rates in developing countries and North Africa are very high compared to other countries.

In turn, the High Commission for Planning in Morocco, which is the country’s official statistics agency, shed light on mental health in Morocco in the period of quarantine and pandemic, and referred to the significant increase in many mental disorders in Morocco, and the impact of the Corona pandemic on the mental health of citizens, especially women who carry many burdens, which is reflected in their psychological balance.

Despite the lack of precise figures on the number of suicides in Morocco, the media reads us daily news of the suicide, and the suicide bombers themselves document the suicide process by video, and some of them publish it directly. on social networks, or leave it. messages that reveal their great suffering.

On February 21, 2020, three people committed suicide in the city of Berrechid, in western Morocco, in addition to the suicide of more than 20 people in Chefchaouen, in the north of the country, from late 2019 to early 2020, and one nobody committed suicide in Fez who did not benefit from the support and left him the message to “starve”.

On top of that, elderly children and suicide bombers, policemen who end their days with working weapons and foreigners like the Moroccan consul in Tangier are committing suicide.

On the growth of the phenomenon of suicide in Morocco, Faisal Tahari, a psychiatrist specializing in clinical psychology, said in a statement to “Sky News Arabia” that it is not exclusive to Morocco, but the whole world is aware of a increase in the number of suicides, as the World Health Organization has warned of this silent killer, whose rates have increased with the Corona pandemic, and have recorded an increase in developing countries and in Africa North compared to other countries.

And he added: “It has to do with each country’s interest in the mental and psychological health of its citizens and the ease with which the health system can benefit from it, especially in its part related to mental health and Unfortunately, Morocco has only a few psychotherapists, for every million people there are only a few psychiatrists. In addition, there are regions that do not have a psychiatrist, and it is very difficult. which delays the intervention of the specialist and the early diagnosis of the disorder, which leads to an increase in this phenomenon in our country.

The psychologist adds that Morocco does not have clear figures regarding the number of suicides due to the quarantine and the pandemic, but that the reasons and motives for the suicide are due to the economic situation, unemployment and the difficult social situation. that have caused stress on the human psyche. , especially during the period of the pandemic, as well as the layoffs, And the suspension of many activities, the affected informal sectors, social pressure and congestion all contributed to the destruction of the human psyche, and made it vulnerable depression and unrest, and as a result drove him to suicide.

There is a study carried out by the High Commission for Planning in 2020 which spoke about mental health in general and the impact of the pandemic on the psyche of citizens, and showed that there is a significant increase in level of many disorders, including; Depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and panic attacks, and this indicates that there is psychological suffering and stressful situation during the quarantine period, which will have dire consequences and increase suicides.

Real threat

Dr Faisal Tahari explained to “Sky News Arabia” that “suicide is a real threat in Morocco, especially since the country is witnessing a weak mental and mental health infrastructure, and sometimes there is very little access, and awareness of the importance of mental health remains largely absent. “This is leading to an increase in suicides, which most Moroccans and families associate with a lack of faith, and this is a bad idea. interpretation, because when a person enters the cycle of mental illness, their faith may be much stronger than us, but mental illness allows them and threatens their life and weakens their psychological immunity and makes them unharmed. He is able to endure this psychological suffering, and he has no other solution than to end his life by suicide. “

The psychologist confirms that in recent years, Morocco has restored many dilapidated hospitals and built clinics, but they are still far from necessary, as most of the hospitals are located in the center of the country, while there are cities, regions and destinations that lack hospitals and a number of psychiatrists, and there are still difficulties in accessing these hospital institutions. He underlines that the figures are very worrying, not only at the level of suicide, but also at the level of mental disorders.

Psychological health

There are studies that have confirmed that half or a little more of Moroccans suffer or have suffered from mental disorders, which requires the intervention of those in charge of the sector so that we can effectively reach an early diagnosis of mental disorders in from the beginning of their emergence, and we do not wait for things to end in a dire situation, because “suicide, whether it results from neurotic or psychotic disorders, it results from the lack of diagnosis or from a very bad diagnosis. late, because most of the suicides the suicide bombers have not consulted any doctor before, and for this it is necessary to sensitize Moroccan families to the importance of mental health and to urge the State to fulfill its obligations. responsibilities to citizens and the availability of doctors, therapists and clinics. Private hospitalization, to which patients can easily and smoothly hospitalize, so that the known pressure of public hospitals is relieved, and patients are not held hostage to very long appointments.

There are many methods of suicide, but the most common in Morocco are hanging, falling from tall buildings, consuming toxic substances, falling in front of a train, and suicide by shooting bullets or sharp weapons. Children and adolescents who have registered many cases in their ranks, either due to academic failure, emotional failure or severe depression, and that is why specialists called the authorities during the quarantine period to allow children to leave their homes to relax and relieve pressure. they suffered from the pandemic.

Children also suffer from depression and mental disorders, and this is why we find the suicide rates in their ranks very high, and it is in the neglect of families, which excludes the child from the circle of stress, explains the psychologist Faisal Tahari, who called for the need to pay attention to children, especially that signs can be watched Their anxiety and depression, when they are isolated and their activity decreases, are all clues that they need to take care of their mental health and help them overcome this problem. step by presenting them to specialists.

It should be noted that the Moroccan League for Human Rights released a report on mental and mental health in Morocco in 2019, in which it stated that 48% of Moroccans suffer from mental or mental illness. In other words, one in two people suffers from a mental or psychological disorder.

In it, the human rights organization criticized the lack of training for doctors specializing in mental medicine and specialist nurses, claiming that Morocco has only 197 psychiatrists working in the public sector, which is a number low considering the global average, as assumed by international standards that 3.66 specialist physicians are available per 100,000 people, while Morocco provides less than one specialist, or 0.63 percent thousand people.



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