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 Interview (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%).


CONCLUSIONS
The sample was small and the prevalence was not determined longitudinally.


CONCLUSIONS
Suicidal ideation being relatively frequent in the general population, there is a need to develop programs of prevention of suicide.
Agoub
Mohamed
M
Department of Psychiatry, Ibn Rushd University Psychiatric Centre, Rue Tarik Ibn Ziad, Casablanca 20000, Morocco. magoub@fmpc.ac.ma
Moussaoui
Driss
D
Kadri
Nadia
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D018912:Arabs / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015897:Comorbidity; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000092864:Suicide Prevention