Casablanca — A student at Morocco’s National Institute of Statistics and Applied Economics (INSEA) in Rabat was found dead inside the institution’s dormitory earlier this week, according to converging reports.
The student, identified by his initials A.M., was around 22 years old and enrolled in the final year of the engineering cycle in Applied Statistics and Big Data. He was reportedly discovered inside his room at the institute’s residence hall on Monday, June 15, after a fellow student found him unresponsive and alerted the administration and authorities.
Reports indicate that the student was found hanging inside his room. Judicial police and forensic teams were dispatched to the scene, while the public prosecutor’s office ordered an investigation to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the death. The body was transferred to the morgue to complete the necessary legal and medical procedures.
Several reports allege that the student had recently been experiencing psychological difficulties. Some classmates also claimed he had previously expressed dark thoughts and, according to other student sources, had shared social media posts suggesting suicidal ideation. These claims have not yet been officially confirmed by investigators.
The incident has left students and staff at the Rabat institution in shock, particularly as the young man was reportedly preparing to defend his graduation project in the coming days. Student sources said he had completed his studies successfully and was nearing the end of his academic journey.
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While student deaths by suicide are not frequent in Morocco, similar tragedies have periodically sparked debate about mental health support in schools and universities. Earlier this year, the suicide of a high school student in Temara renewed concerns over the lack of psychological support services for young people.
Mental health services remain limited across the country, with specialists concentrated in major cities and access to psychological care often difficult, particularly for students and low-income families. Universities have increasingly been urged to strengthen counseling and psychological support services as concerns grow over stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges affecting young Moroccans.
Yet structural shortages tell only part of the story. Deeply rooted social stigma and taboos continue to weigh heavily on how mental health is perceived and addressed in Morocco. Psychological suffering is often dismissed, minimized, or confined to silence, treated less as a public health concern than as a personal weakness or a source of embarrassment.
This climate of denial discourages individuals from seeking help and normalizes the absence of support systems. As a result, many struggle in isolation, with intervention arriving late, if at all, and institutions facing little pressure to respond with the urgency the situation demands.
The investigation into the INSEA student’s death remains ongoing.
