Morocco’s mental health crisis deepens as millions lack access to care, ministry says

Morocco’s Health and Social Protection Ministry has raised concerns over the state of mental health in the country, saying about 6.5 million Moroccans are living with mental health disorders.

Around 2 million children and young people are among those affected, highlighting the challenges facing families, schools and universities in preventing and addressing mental health problems.

The treatment gap is also significant. According to ministry figures, about 85% of people with mental health disorders do not receive the care they need.

In response, the ministry has launched its Mental Health Plan 2030, which aims to significantly expand the country’s mental health infrastructure and workforce.

The plan calls for increasing the number of psychiatric beds from 2,466 to about 4,728 and raising the number of psychiatric hospitals from 10 to 17. Intermediate mental health facilities are expected to increase from four to 24, with the goal of expanding access to services across Morocco’s regions.

The government also plans to increase the number of psychologists working in the public sector from 32 to 786. Annual training capacity would rise to 124 psychiatric specialists from 36, while the number of specialized mental health nurses trained each year would increase from 490 to 750.

The ministry also plans to establish a legal framework regulating the profession of psychologists.

The plan is expected to receive about 4 billion Moroccan dirhams ($400 million) in funding to implement its measures.

Questions over the scale of the problem

The figures released by the ministry may still underestimate the prevalence of mental health disorders, according to Idriss El Moussaoui, a psychiatrist and former president of the World Association of Social Psychiatry.

El Moussaoui told Hespress AR that differences in diagnostic criteria can produce significantly different estimates of the prevalence of mental health disorders.

He cited a study conducted with a research team and published in 2007 involving 5,600 people. According to El Moussaoui, the study found that 48% of Moroccans over the age of 15 had a mental health disorder.

The psychiatrist said the findings were published nationally and internationally and were presented at the time to King Mohammed VI by then-Health Minister Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah.

El Moussaoui also referred to a similar study conducted in Tunisia around the same period, which he said found that more than half of the sample had mental health disorders.

He said the Tunisian findings were met with resistance from authorities at the time, while Morocco took a different approach by publicly discussing the findings and expanding specialized mental health services.

El Moussaoui said the Moroccan king subsequently ordered the organization of a national news conference to present the study’s findings and gave instructions to develop psychiatric and mental health services.

The psychiatrist also pointed to other health conditions that he said illustrate the broader challenges facing Morocco’s health system. He cited high blood pressure and diabetes as examples of conditions whose prevalence has increased over time, while emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.

He identified accumulated anxiety and genetic factors among contributors to mental health disorders. Having one or both parents with a mental illness can increase the likelihood of a child developing a similar condition, he said, although individual resilience and social support can help mitigate that risk.

According to El Moussaoui, mental health problems among young people are not new. What has changed, he said, is the development of diagnostic methods that allow conditions to be identified more readily.

He also stressed the importance of family life and physical activity in supporting mental well-being and helping prevent or manage some mental health conditions.

A challenge of development

Social psychology expert Adel Hassani said psychological stability is shaped by the different stages of human development, which can involve periods of anxiety, depression and difficulties in balancing emotional, social and professional relationships.

Some episodes may last several weeks before resolving, he said, but can develop into persistent disorders when people are unable to overcome them or do not receive appropriate support.

Hassani identified a lack of health education and a shortage of psychologists, therapists and other mental health professionals as major challenges. He called for services to be made available at both regional and local levels.

He also pointed to cultural factors, arguing that the problem is not necessarily a reluctance among Moroccans to seek psychological treatment, but rather a lack of understanding of mental health disorders and the different forms of treatment available.

Many Moroccans, he said, do not clearly distinguish between psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors and social workers, despite the fact that the professions have different roles and are intended to complement one another.

Hassani criticized what he described as “chaos” in the sector, saying patients are sometimes treated by professionals whose expertise does not match their needs. In some cases, he said, a psychiatrist may receive a patient who primarily requires psychological therapy, while a psychologist may encounter a case requiring medical intervention.

He also warned against allowing unqualified “coaches” to handle people who require specialized mental health treatment.

Hassani stressed the need to distinguish between mental illnesses and psychological disorders, noting that some severe mental illnesses can be associated with genetic factors, substance use or physical trauma and require specialized medical intervention.

He also criticized the continuing social stigma surrounding mental illness, arguing that advances in treatment make derogatory descriptions of people with mental health conditions increasingly unacceptable.

The expert called on the Health Ministry to strengthen oversight of both the public and private sectors, particularly in diagnosis, and said complex psychological conditions should not be determined after only one or two consultations.

Hassani also urged political parties to make mental health a policy priority and develop health-sector expertise capable of addressing the issue.

Without greater attention to mental health, he warned, Morocco could face serious social consequences. He also argued that young people’s desire to emigrate can be influenced by psychological factors alongside economic and material considerations.