Often taboo, mental illnesses nevertheless affect 20% of French people.
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- It was estimated before the health crisis that one in two people had already suffered from mental disorders during their life, and that one in five suffered from it at any time.
- The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a sharp increase in mental health problems, especially among young people, the unemployed and people in financial difficulty.
In order to fight against the “psychophobia” and raise awareness of mental illnesses, Psychodon Association a new movie is coming out.
Christophe Coffre, President Havas Paris in charge of creation, explains: “Ipsychiatric illnesses, through the suffering they cause, are a delicate subject to tackle head-on. We wanted to underline the urgency but also to inspire hope. This young person in the film, always on the “edge” of life, perfectly illustrates what patients feel before being diagnosed.”
20% of French people are concerned
“Depression, schizophrenia, bipolarity… psychological pathologies are numerous, impact any profile of person, and affect a larger part of the population than one might imagine”, specifies the association. Nearly 20% of French people are affected. In the professional world, 4 out of 10 people will have at least one depressive episode during their lifetime.
“Psychiatric illnesses are those for which the delay in diagnosis is the most important: 8 years on average”, add the experts. “The health crisis is already emerging as an aggravating factor in this observation, making it more necessary than ever to raise awareness and educate about mental and psychological illnesses”.
The OECD warns of the urgency of investing in mental health
A finding shared by the OECD, which, in a new report, considers that investments and the quality of mental health care must be increased urgently because of Covid-19. “Countries need to provide adequate support to those affected while urgently increasing investment and quality of care to reduce the high social and economic costs associated with mental illness,” says the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. “Psychiatric services have long been neglected and underfunded, and unmet care needs remain high in OECD countries,” lament the authors.
