The role of social anxiety in suicidal risk among university students in Northern Morocco
Background Psychiatric disorders are a major risk factor for suicidal behaviors. However, increasing attention is being given to anxiety disorders, which have also been associated with suicidal risk. Aims This study aims to examine the prevalence of social anxiety disorder (SAD) among university...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
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| Series: | BJPsych International |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S205647402510055X/type/journal_article |
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| author | Sara Echater Fadila Bousgheiri Karima Sammoud Yassine Benhaddouch Saloua Lemrabett Meftaha Senhaji Adil Najdi Adil El Ammouri |
| author_facet | Sara Echater Fadila Bousgheiri Karima Sammoud Yassine Benhaddouch Saloua Lemrabett Meftaha Senhaji Adil Najdi Adil El Ammouri |
| author_sort | Sara Echater |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Background
Psychiatric disorders are a major risk factor for suicidal behaviors. However, increasing attention is being given to anxiety disorders, which have also been associated with suicidal risk.
Aims
This study aims to examine the prevalence of social anxiety disorder (SAD) among university students, explore its association with suicidal risk and assess the role of depression as a potential confounding factor in this relationship.
Method
We conducted a cross-sectional, multicentre study involving students from Abdelmalek Essaâdi University. Data were collected face-to-face using a structured questionnaire designed on the REDCap platform. The Moroccan Arabic version of the MINI (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview) was used to assess SAD, depression and suicidal risk. All students present and consenting were included. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression to evaluate the independent association between SAD and suicidal risk.
Results
Among the 1168 students surveyed, 59.1% were women, and the average age was 20.63 years. The prevalence of social anxiety was 9.9% (95% CI: 8.3–11.8). Social anxiety disorder is an independent risk factor for suicide, even after adjustment for other well-known variables such as depression, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.84 (95% CI: 1.12–3.04).
Conclusion
SAD is a major risk factor for suicidal behaviors. These results highlight the importance of early identification and appropriate management of SAD among students in order to prevent suicidal risks.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-09f1197f5f51437fba0bd9edb19e5977 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2056-4740 2058-6264 |
| language | English |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BJPsych International |
| spelling | doaj-art-09f1197f5f51437fba0bd9edb19e59772025-08-20T07:11:18ZengCambridge University PressBJPsych International2056-47402058-62641610.1192/bji.2025.10055The role of social anxiety in suicidal risk among university students in Northern MoroccoSara Echater0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4592-8403Fadila Bousgheiri1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8026-5997Karima Sammoud2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5106-0087Yassine Benhaddouch3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4548-4702Saloua Lemrabett4https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8357-3978Meftaha Senhaji5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1604-4038Adil Najdi6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3646-6908Adil El Ammouri7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4404-8172Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tangier, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University (UAE), Tangier, Morocco. Email:Assistant Professor of Community Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, Public Health, and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University (UAE), Tangier, MoroccoResident Doctor of Community Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, Public Health, and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University (UAE), Tangier, MoroccoAssistant Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tangier, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University (UAE), Tangier, Morocco. Email:Resident Doctor of Community Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, Public Health, and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University (UAE), Tangier, MoroccoProfessor of Neuroscience, Department of Biology and Health, Faculty of Sciences, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University (UAE), Tetouan, MoroccoHead of Department and Full Professor of Community Medicine, Department of Epidemiology, Public Health, and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University (UAE), Tangier, MoroccoHead of Department and Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tangier, Mohammed VI University Hospital, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University (UAE), Tangier, Morocco Background Psychiatric disorders are a major risk factor for suicidal behaviors. However, increasing attention is being given to anxiety disorders, which have also been associated with suicidal risk. Aims This study aims to examine the prevalence of social anxiety disorder (SAD) among university students, explore its association with suicidal risk and assess the role of depression as a potential confounding factor in this relationship. Method We conducted a cross-sectional, multicentre study involving students from Abdelmalek Essaâdi University. Data were collected face-to-face using a structured questionnaire designed on the REDCap platform. The Moroccan Arabic version of the MINI (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview) was used to assess SAD, depression and suicidal risk. All students present and consenting were included. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression to evaluate the independent association between SAD and suicidal risk. Results Among the 1168 students surveyed, 59.1% were women, and the average age was 20.63 years. The prevalence of social anxiety was 9.9% (95% CI: 8.3–11.8). Social anxiety disorder is an independent risk factor for suicide, even after adjustment for other well-known variables such as depression, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.84 (95% CI: 1.12–3.04). Conclusion SAD is a major risk factor for suicidal behaviors. These results highlight the importance of early identification and appropriate management of SAD among students in order to prevent suicidal risks. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S205647402510055X/type/journal_articleSocial anxiety disorder (SAD)suicidal riskuniversity studentsdepressionMorocco |
| spellingShingle | Sara Echater Fadila Bousgheiri Karima Sammoud Yassine Benhaddouch Saloua Lemrabett Meftaha Senhaji Adil Najdi Adil El Ammouri The role of social anxiety in suicidal risk among university students in Northern Morocco BJPsych International Social anxiety disorder (SAD) suicidal risk university students depression Morocco |
| title | The role of social anxiety in suicidal risk among university students in Northern Morocco |
| title_full | The role of social anxiety in suicidal risk among university students in Northern Morocco |
| title_fullStr | The role of social anxiety in suicidal risk among university students in Northern Morocco |
| title_full_unstemmed | The role of social anxiety in suicidal risk among university students in Northern Morocco |
| title_short | The role of social anxiety in suicidal risk among university students in Northern Morocco |
| title_sort | role of social anxiety in suicidal risk among university students in northern morocco |
| topic | Social anxiety disorder (SAD) suicidal risk university students depression Morocco |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S205647402510055X/type/journal_article |
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