Prevalence depressions, whether or not they are related to work, within the active population is not well known in France. In his last Weekly epidemiological bulletinPublic Health France studied the impact of depression in the working population, using data from the 2017 Health Barometer. This study shows that 11.4% of women and 5.3% of men suffered from a depressive episode in 2017.
In total, 25,319 people (48.7% men and 51.3% women) aged 18 to 75 and residing in metropolitan France were interviewed for the Health Barometer. The prevalence of a major depressive episode (CDE) in the past 12 months was 8.2% among the employed population. To measure a characterized depressive episode (CDE), the person must have gone through a period of sadness or loss of interest for at least 2 consecutive weeks, associated with at least 3 secondary symptoms and a disturbance of activities.
Secondary symptoms are:
- exhaustion or lack of energy
- the gain or loss of at least 5 kg
- difficulty sleeping
- difficulty concentrating
- a loss of self-confidence
- recurring thoughts of death.
“The prevalence rates of EDC are significantly different in men depending on the sector of activity. The three sectors with the highest prevalences are accommodation and food services, financial and insurance activities as well as the arts and shows” point out the authors of the study. The prevalence of EDC is also different by age, especially in men. Indeed, men aged 25 to 44 suffer moreof depressive episodes than their elders.
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