Assessment of suicidality in a Moroccan metropolitan area

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of suicidal ideations and suicide attempts in a representative sample of the general population of the urban area of Casablanca, Morocco. Methods: The survey was conducted based on face-to-face household interviews. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Inter-view (M.I.N.I.) was used to assess axis I diagnoses according to DSM-IV criteria and the M.I.N.I. suicidality module to rate the severity of active suicidality. Results: The 1-month prevalence of suicidal ideation was 6.3%. Seventeen subjects (2.1%) reported at least one suicide attempt during their lifetime. Some variables were positively associated to suicidal ideation: the non-married status, subjects with a history of psychiatric disorders, and subjects without children. At least one mental disorder was present among 88.2% of subjects with suicidal ideation. Major depressive disorder was the most prevalent one (23.5%). Limitations: The sample was small and the prevalence was not determined longitudinally. Conclusion: Suicidal ideation being relatively frequent in the general population, there is a need to develop programs of prevention of suicide. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.