A depressed person is often stigmatized, giving the impression of “carelessness”, laziness or listlessness. Depression is more than a passing discomfort, it is a real illness. During European Depression Day, which has existed since 2003 and which takes place every year on October 27, the Ministry of Solidarity and Health has developed certain preventive and curative measures in the care of the depressed person.
The most common mental disorder
Depression is the most common mental illness. It affects all ages, “from childhood to late in life”. In France, estimates suggest that one in five people has suffered or will suffer from depression in their lifetime. In 2017, around 8% of the working population had a depressive episode during the year, according to a survey by Public Health France: “women have depression twice as often as men (11% vs. 5%) […] Among the youngest, the prevalence of depressive disorders is estimated between 2.1 to 3.4% in children and 14% in adolescents.”.
The consequences of depression
Depression is the subject of misconceptions, pointing to people who suffer from it: they lack the will to “get better” or are too stressed. Depression is actually characterized by feelings of sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt, and low self-esteem. It can be accompanied by trouble sleeping, loss of appetite or lack of concentration. The long-term consequences can be irreversible: depression increases the risk of suicide tenfold compared to the general population. In France, 9,000 people die by suicide per year. It is the leading cause of death between 15 and 35 years old, with 1 death every hour and a suicide attempt every 3 minutes.
Measures taken by the Ministry
“Depression is a disease that can be prevented, treated and accompanied”, According to Olivier Véran’s office. In addition, the current context (health crisis, confinement, terrorist attacks, etc.), favors the occurrence of anxiety, the appearance of anxiety disorders and depression. “The Government is attentive to this suffering”. This is why a set of reinforcement measures for the management of patients has been taken:
- strengthening psycho-social skills: developing cognitive, emotional and social skills, especially among the youngest;
- a VigilanS device: recontact people who have attempted suicide. The system will be programmed to cover all regions at the end of 2021;
- the establishment of the National Suicide Number;
- the strengthening of psychological support measures for French people suffering from the disease, such as “stopblues”, developed by INSERM;
- the multiplication of listening and guidance platforms;
- the reinforcement of the intervention of psychologists in the structures;
- the establishment of a new “general practitioner-psychologist” system to identify and psychologically support people through health insurance.
