The Suicide of Matar Diagne: A Wake-Up Call for Senegal’s Mental Health Crisis
On February 10, 2023, 27-year-old Matar Diagne ended his life by suicide. His tragic death sent shockwaves through Senegal, sparking a national conversation about the neglect and stigma surrounding mental health in the country.
Diagne’s Last Words
In his final Facebook post, Diagne shared a haunting message, revealing his profound isolation and despair. "I will no longer be alive when you read this message," he wrote. "I prefer to die with dignity than live in dishonor."
He alluded to an unnamed illness that brought him "suffering" and further amplified his isolation. Despite his distress, Diagne expressed a poignant plea for human connection, urging others to "not isolate anyone, not ignore anyone," but rather to "approach those who isolate themselves, talk to them (…) without judging them."
Social and Academic Impact
Diagne’s death sparked an outpouring of grief and support on social media and beyond. His message resonated deeply with Senegalese youth, who grappled with similar feelings of isolation and lack of support.
The government newspaper, Le Soleil, declared that Diagne’s testimony held a "mirror to the ills that plague Senegalese society." It called for lessons to be learned from his "silent cry" to prevent further tragedies. However, despite the public outcry, no official political response followed.
A Taboo Subject
Fatou Fall, president of Safe Open Space (SOS), identified the lack of attention to mental health, particularly among men, as a major factor in Diagne’s suicide. She saw eerie parallels to an anonymous suicide note posted on Twitter in 2017 by a Senegalese man.
"He had hoped that perhaps his death would help others behave better towards people," Fall explained, highlighting the persistent stigma surrounding mental illness in Senegal.
Lack of Resources
Official data from 2019 revealed a dismal reality: only 38 psychologists and psychiatrists serve Senegal’s population of 18 million, resulting in a shocking ratio of one therapist for every 475,000 people. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a ratio 25 times higher.
"There is an urgent need for prevention in a population that is extremely young," Fall emphasized, noting that over three-quarters of Senegalese are under the age of 35.
Student Distress
In Saint-Louis, where Diagne attended university, his death created a "wave of shock" and a muted response from academic authorities. A gathering for students was held under the guise of "collective therapy," but it was widely perceived as a mere public relations exercise.
"We need psychologists available on campus," said Al Jabbar Adebo, a student who participated in the event. "We are facing a growing malaise among students, with their isolation compounded by deteriorating living conditions, especially housing and food."
Similar concerns were voiced at the University of Dakar, which hosts the majority of Senegal’s university students. Despite such a large population, the university has no dedicated psychological support services.
Social and Economic Pressures
Student malaise in Senegal is exacerbated by factors such as a turbulent political climate and economic challenges. Recent protests over the imprisonment of an opposition leader were met with violent repression, leading to the closure of campuses for six months.
"The authorities pretend that we are privileged," said Mohamed, a master’s student in Dakar. "But our scholarships barely allow us to feed our families and pay for our education."
The "student malaise" has become a symptom of a larger societal problem in Senegal, where youth unemployment and underemployment are rampant. "Our social class is being downgraded," lamented Mohamed. "Matar’s suicide is a symptom of this."
A Call to Action
Matar Diagne’s death serves as a wake-up call for Senegal to address the urgent need for mental health services, especially among youth. As Al Jabbar Adebo in Saint-Louis asks, "How many more Matars will it take for the government to react and understand the extent of the fire that is smoldering within Senegalese youth?"
