DOI: 10.36347/sasjm.2021.v07i09.007

Pages: 421-423

Objectives: To describe the degree of despair among the general population after the prolongation of the lockdown following the state of health emergency, caused by the spread of COVID-19 in Morocco and to analyze the different parameters that can explain the occurrence of despair among the general population. Materials and Methods: Study conducted among the general population between May 18 and June 10, 2020, using a questionnaire distributed on different social networks. The degree of hopelessness was quantified using the Beck hopelessness scale. Results: 304 individuals participated in this study. 45.7% of the participants were between 21 and 30 years old, 57.2% were women and 95.7% of the participants lived in urban areas. Regarding the level of education, 92.1% of our sample had a higher education. After the confinement, 14.3% of the participants lost their jobs and 53.7% didn’t receive any remuneration. The majority of participants (90.8%) agreed with the containment measures. Only 9.2% of the participants had a psychiatric history, of which 64.3% were being followed for depressive disorder. Regarding the Beck Hopelessness Scale, the score ranged from 0 to 18 with a median score of 3 and 4.9% of participants had a score ≥ 13. Primary education level, presence of psychiatric history, and those who disagreed with the confinement decision were at higher risk of acting out. Conclusion: The present study confirmed the involvement of participants' educational level, the existence of a psychiatric history, and participants' agreement with the containment measures in increasing hopelessness and consequently increasing the risk of suicidal acting out.