La Dress attempted to determine the profile and trajectories of people with suicidal thoughts. For the latter, professional integration is often difficult.
Better understand the reasons and the paths of suicidal ideation. The Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics Department (DREES) carried out a survey of working people in France (Health and professional career). One of its components was about suicidal thoughts. The goal is to be able to spot the warning signs and reduce the number of suicides in France.
More impaired health
Of the 4,800 people questioned, aged 40 to 59, 5% said they had already had suicidal thoughts during the two weeks preceding the survey, women more than men. The health of these people is impaired: they report more chronic diseases, digestive disorders and sleep. They also suffer from visual and hearing difficulties and their tobacco consumption is almost twice as much.
They are also more isolated than the others on the social and relational level: half of the respondents who have had suicidal thoughts have not had any social activity for a year. These people are less in a relationship than the others, while there are more divorcees and widowers in this group.
A heightened vision of work
This isolation has obvious repercussions on the professional situation of these people. Those declaring suicidal thoughts are more often unemployed (37% against 17%). When they work, they are more exposed to psychosocial disorders (chronic stress, depression). Thus, half of the working people who have had suicidal thoughts suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (5% of the general population), and 8 out of 10 report a characterized depressive episode.
It is also common for the workers concerned to be dissatisfied with their professional career. Finally, the survey indicates that these people have “heightened feelings” vis-à-vis the importance of their work in their life: 18% of them say that job search is more important than all (compared to 5% not presenting suicidal ideation). On the contrary, 12% say that this has little importance, against 4% of people who have never thought of killing themselves.
Each year, nearly 10,500 people die by suicide, three times more than traffic accidents. Around 220,000 suicide attempts were taken care of by hospital emergencies over the same period. “There are strong links between suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and completed suicides, especially in terms of prognosis. This justifies the attention paid to such indicators, ”emphasizes Drees.
.
