• Mohamed Agoub, Driss Moussaoui, and Nadia Kadri.
• Department of Psychiatry, Ibn Rushd University Psychiatric Centre, Rue Tarik Ibn Ziad, Casablanca 20000, Morocco. magoub@fmpc.ac.ma
• J Affect Disord. 2006 Feb 1; 90 (2-3): 223-6.

BackgroundThe 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.MethodsThe 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.ResultsThe 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%).LimitationsThe sample was small and the prevalence was not determined longitudinally.ConclusionSuicidal ideation being relatively frequent in the general population, there is a need to develop programs of prevention of suicide.

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