Here are 6 tips to help young French people take care of their mental health.
- Santé Publique France provides advice to help young people take care of their mental health.
- The mental health of the French is still degraded in 2023, a constant trend since September 2020.
- This development particularly concerns adolescents (11-17 years) and young adults (18-24 years).
Following the publication of figures demonstrating a deterioration in the mental health of young French people, Santé Publique France provides its advice to help them take care of their psychological state. The health authority therefore recommends:
– practice physical activity;
– get enough sleep;
– sleep with regular schedules;
– take time for leisure and/or a hobby;
– help others ;
– practice gratitude.
More and more mental health problems among young people
The mental health of the French is still degraded in 2023, a constant trend since September 2020. This development particularly concerns adolescents (11-17 years) and young adults (18-24 years).
Thus, 18-24 year olds were 20.8% affected by depression in 2021 compared to 11.7% in 2017. In this same age group, recourse to emergency care for mood disorders, Suicidal ideas and gestures also increased sharply in 2023. Finally, among 17-year-olds, 9.5% were affected by severe anxiety-depressive symptoms in 2022 compared to 4.5% in 2017.
Young people aged 18-24 are less concerned about their mental health
However, young people aged 18-24 are less concerned about their mental health or their well-being than their elders. They are also less likely to think they can act on it, less inclined to talk about it with their doctor and less frequently believe in the existence of effective solutions to treat anxiety or depression. In 2022, 35% of 18-24 year olds felt like they weren’t taking care of their mental health or well-being. Among these individuals, 32% said they did not know how to do it, 29% said they did not have the time and 25% did not feel capable.
“The data collected since 2020 demonstrate a deterioration in mental health among adolescents and young adults and a still taboo perception of these issues. These results led Public Health France to strengthen the surveillance and implementation of targeted actions to free people to speak out about unhappiness. Today, we are tackling a new area which consists of raising awareness among young people about activities and behaviors beneficial to their mental health. Promoting mental health, preventing the onset of disorders psychological problems and fighting against stigmatization are public health issues to which we are fully committed to support the adults of tomorrow”, concludes Dr Caroline Semaille, Director General of Public Health France.
