Why it matters. The mental health of the French is improving compared to 2020

In July 2021, the French are doing better than in 2020… but still worse than in 2019, before the health crisis. This is indicated by a DREES study on the mental health of the French released Wednesday.

“In July 2021, the average rate of depressive syndromes among people aged 16 or over stabilized compared to November 2020, with one person in 10 being affected. Among young people aged 14 to 16, the decline in the prevalence of these symptoms is notable, without however returning to the levels observed in 2019”, specifies the study.

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What are the causes of this discomfort?

In particular, the study identifies working shifts as a potential factor in aggravating the state of mental health. People declaring that they sometimes, often or always work at odd hours (in the evening, at night or very early in the morning) “are more frequently anxious and/or depressed (16%) with bulimic behavior (5%) and consumption of alcohol at chronic risk (6%) than those who never declare that they work staggered hours”, details the study. 17% of people who do not work are affected by an anxious and/or depressive syndrome, 3% by bulimic behavior and 4% by chronic risky alcohol consumption.

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The fact of having developed symptoms of Covid is also associated with the presentation of depressive symptoms or suicidal thoughts. The fact of having had oneself or that a loved one has had a severe form of Covid is also associated with higher rates of depressive and/or anxious syndromes and bulimic behavior.

Are there people more affected?

The study indicates that “people affected by an anxiety or depression syndrome or by bulimic behaviors are more frequently women, young people, people with a disability, people declaring a low level of social support and whose situation economy has been critical or deteriorated since 2021”. Exposure to screens for more than four hours a day and daily consultation of social networks is also frequently cited among people affected by these syndromes.

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The prevalence of depressive, anxious symptoms and bulimic behaviors is more common among students, unemployed and other inactive people.

The likelihood of presenting “regular consumption of cannabis, daily tobacco, and alcohol at chronic risk” is higher in people suffering from anxiety and/or depressive disorders. Bulimic behaviors concern more people with a baccalaureate or higher level. People with a master’s degree or higher are more at risk of anxiety syndrome.

Finally, “people of immigrant descent have an increased risk of reporting excessive bulimia” when immigrants “are more frequently affected by depressive syndromes”.

How can this improvement compared to 2020 be explained?

The Drees specifies that the study was not carried out at the same time as in 2020, which could explain the improvement in mental health among the youngest. “In some cases, depression may be seasonal and appear cyclically in the fall period, when the second part of the survey took place in 2020. Conversely, the third part of the survey took place from 24 June to August 6, 2021, i.e. a vacation period for most 16-24 year olds, ”say the authors of the study.

In 2021, compared to 2020, the health situation also improved, which may explain this stability in the state of French mental health.

The DREES also notes that a campaign to raise awareness and destigmatize anxiety-depressive disorders was carried out in the spring of 2021, just before the study was conducted.

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