The deteriorating mental health crisis in Morocco presents a grim reality, especially as the issue of drug use continues to loom large within society. Morocco stands out as one of the world’s leading producers of hashish and the primary supplier of cannabis resin to Europe. Recent studies reveal a troubling connection between cannabis use and an increased risk of suicide among the youth, a demographic already suffering from mental health disorders affecting approximately 6.5 million Moroccans, with a staggering 85% of them lacking access to the necessary care.
These figures are not mere statistics; they reflect a profound health and social crisis that unveils the inadequacies of a system designed to safeguard human well-being. The Moroccan Ministry of Health acknowledged in a statement circulated by local media that around 6.5 million individuals are grappling with mental health issues, yet only a small fraction receive the essential support they require. This reality underscores the vast chasm between the psychological needs of Moroccans and the healthcare system’s ability to address them, placing Moroccan authorities' policies under an unavoidable scrutiny.
Morocco: A Hashish Hub with Youth Paying the Price
The situation grows increasingly dire when the mental health crisis is juxtaposed with the rampant drug use. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction indicates that Morocco has consistently been the main source of cannabis resin entering Europe, while research identifies it as one of the largest hashish producers globally. It is crucial to recognize that drug use cannot be treated as a separate issue from mental health, particularly as local studies reveal a clear intersection between cannabis consumption and psychological risk factors among the youth.
A study published in the British journal “Discover Public Health,” which surveyed 1,191 students from a northern Moroccan university, found that 27% of respondents fell within the suicidal risk category. Cannabis use was among the factors correlated with this risk, alongside a family history of mental illness, exposure to physical violence, and other elements. Alarmingly, the study highlighted a significant presence of cannabis users among students identified as at risk, indicating that drug use cannot be seen as an isolated social phenomenon, but rather as intertwined with the mental health crisis, particularly among young people already burdened by multiple pressures.
This paints a stark paradox in the Moroccan landscape: a nation that maintains a prominent position in the production and export of hashish while millions of its citizens struggle with mental health disorders, with most lacking the necessary care.
Adolescents at the Brink
Worrying indicators extend beyond university students and into the lives of schoolchildren and adolescents. A 2025 study published in the Swiss journal “Healthcare” revealed that 16.66% of participants reported suicidal thoughts, while 25% admitted to current use of psychoactive substances, including hallucinogens. The issue lies not only in the existence of drugs or mental disorders but in the convergence of both within a fragile socio-economic and educational environment, leaving vast sectors of the affected population without adequate mental health support.
The situation becomes even more distressing when focusing on children. According to UNICEF's latest report, over 276,000 students dropped out of school during the 2024-2025 academic year, with approximately 103,000 children aged 7 to 17 entering the workforce prematurely. Simultaneously, around 6.9 million children face increasing risks related to water stress and climate change. These data highlight that mental health crises do not emerge suddenly at the point of diagnosis but may begin much earlier in environments fraught with educational challenges, poverty, early labor, and socio-economic pressures.
Drugs and mental health disorders further exacerbate the vulnerability of certain youth demographics, complicating the crisis even further. This raises critical questions about the responsibilities of Moroccan authorities: who will protect these children and adolescents? Who will ensure prevention, diagnosis, and treatment before accumulated pressures lead to psychological breakdowns, addiction, or suicidal behavior? These are questions that cannot be buried under official statistics or promotional rhetoric, as the data themselves forcefully reintroduce them.
Moreover, the societal cost of this crisis extends beyond health and psychological ramifications; it also has economic implications. An economic analysis based on an international study published in the British journal “Nature Medicine” estimates that depression could cost Morocco around $21.23 billion between 2025 and 2050, with annual losses surpassing $800 million in several years due to reduced productivity and decreased labor market participation. Thus, the issue transcends mere health concerns that authorities may view as peripheral; it represents a crisis impacting individuals, families, educational institutions, the labor market, and the economy simultaneously.
Yet, the most urgent question remains: how can a health system address such a monumental crisis when 85% of individuals with mental disorders lack the care they need? When all these data points are consolidated into a single picture, the scale of the crisis becomes more apparent: 6.5 million people endure mental health issues, with 85% not receiving necessary care; 27% of university students are at suicidal risk; and 25% of school students report using psychoactive substances. Meanwhile, Morocco continues to hold its position as a major source of hashish and cannabis resin.
These are not just scattered numbers; they illustrate a community where drug use intersects with psychological fragility, intensifying the pressures on youth while a concerning treatment gap persists. Most alarmingly, responsibility extends beyond addressing the consequences; it encompasses preventing social, educational, and economic conditions from driving more youth toward drug use or psychological collapse. The mental health crisis in Morocco has grown too large to be reduced to bed counts or a shortage of doctors. It reflects public policies that should prioritize protecting vulnerable populations before they falter.
When millions of Moroccans find themselves facing mental health disorders without sufficient support, when drugs and psychoactive substances emerge among the risk factors for youth, and when hundreds of thousands of children leave school and tens of thousands enter the labor market, the notion of a transient crisis becomes increasingly unconvincing. The problem lies not only in the statistics but in a system that allows these figures to accumulate.
Ultimately, it is the youth and children who bear the brunt of the crisis: the costs of psychological vulnerability, drug use, failures in prevention and treatment, and the inadequacies of policies that fail to address the roots of the crisis before it escalates into greater human, social, and economic losses.
As reported by al24news.dz.
