More suicidal thoughts among adults, especially young people, and more emotional difficulties among children and adolescents: a new study on Wednesday documents the deterioration in post-Covid mental health, emphasizing the impact of discrimination and social media.
This " inventory » is based on the latest findings of an investigation, EpiCov, conducted in four episodes to follow the evolution of the Covid-19 epidemic and its repercussions on living conditions and health.
Around 64,000 people aged at least 15, representative of the population living in France (excluding Guyana, Mayotte and residents of nursing homes or prisons) were surveyed between spring 2020 and autumn 2022 for this survey, developed by the statistical service of the social ministries (Drees) and Inserm, with Public Health France and Insee.
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The last part shows an increase in suicidal thoughts between autumn 2020 and autumn 2022 (from 2.8% to 3.4%), much more pronounced among those under 25, and even more so among young women (8.7%), summarizes the Drees.
For depressive syndromes, the findings are mixed.
On the one hand, a " slight setback » in their frequency, from 10.6% to 9.6%, between 2021 and 2022, mainly linked to a decrease in mild syndromes. On the other hand, a stagnation of major syndromes, which affected 5.3% of the population in the fall of 2022.
The situation varies greatly by age. For 15- to 24-year-olds, the prevalence of depressive syndromes is much higher in 2022 than just before the pandemic—it had already increased sharply between 2014 and 2019.
Conversely, it has fallen below the 2019 level for those aged 35 and over, and even below that of 2014 for those aged 65 and over.
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As risk factors, all types of discrimination (age, sex, origin, weight, disability) are associated with the presence of a depressive syndrome, as well as identifying as homosexual or bisexual, being exposed to screens for more than six hours a day outside of professional reasons, and consulting social networks at least once an hour, the study points out.
More broadly, financial difficulties, social isolation and chronic illness are closely linked to the prevalence of depressive syndrome.
Between 2021 and 2022, children and adolescents (5-17 years old), “ especially girls", experienced a “significant” increase in emotional difficulties, sadness or anxiety.
As for mental health care, general practitioners are consulted less (-2 points in one year, at 5% of adults), but specialists more, psychologists (+2 points at 6%) as well as psychiatrists (+1, at 3%).
But the level of non-recourse to care is " worrying": about half of people with suicidal thoughts, more than 60% of those with major depressive or severe anxiety syndrome.
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