Prevalence of mental health disorders among university students in northern Morocco

Introduction Mental health is essential for the well-being and academic success of university students. It enables constructive participation in community life and resilience in the face of stress and adversity. Therefore, student mental health should be a priority in all societies. Aim The objective of our study is to provide an overview of the mental health status of students in the northern region of Morocco. Methods We conducted a multicenter, cross-sectional, face-to-face study among university students in northern Morocco. We used the Arabic dialect version of the MINI structured interview, which screens for 17 mental disorders, for data collection. Results The sample consisted of 1168 students from our university. After examining the gender distribution, our study included 478 men (40.9%) and 690 women (59.1%), with a male-to-female ratio of 0.69. The average age in this sample was 20.63 years (+/- 2.9). The overall prevalence of mental disorders in this sample, screened with the MINI, was 55.6%,95% CI [ 52.7–58.5]. Prevalence rates for the individual screening mental disorders were as follows: mood disorders were 38.5% [95% CI: 35.7–41.3], anxiety disorders 35.6% [95% CI: 33.8–39.4], suicide risk 11.2% ,95% CI [9.5–13.2], psychotic disorders 4.3%, 95% CI [3.2–5.6], substance addiction disorders 2.4%, 95% CI [1.6–3.4], eating disorders 2.1%, 95% CI [1.3-3.0], and antisocial personality disorders 1.7%, 95% CI [1.0-2.6]. Conclusion More than half of university students are likely to meet the criteria for a DSM-IV disorder at some point in their lives. These concerning results should prompt and mobilize non-governmental organizations and governments to invest significantly this field.