According to the latest report from Public Health France, visits to the emergency room linked to suicidal gestures, thoughts or mood disorders are on the increase among 15-17 year olds and 18-24 year olds.
- Santé Publique France defines mood disorders as follows: manic episode, bipolar affective disorder, depressive episodes, recurrent depressive disorder, persistent mood disorders and mental disorders.
- UCL researchers find more depressive disorders and less overall well-being in girls.
- The MonPsy device concerns patients over the age of three, and can be renewed once a year.
Young people are in bad shape, and it’s not getting better. Last March, the World Health Organization noted a 25% increase in cases of anxiety and depression since the start of 2020, and pointed out that “younger people, especially 20-24 year olds, were more affected than older age groups”. In France, Public Health France observes the same trends: the mental health of adolescents is deteriorating. In a report as of April 7, the national public health agency notes a “high level” concerning the “passages to the emergency room for suicidal gesture, suicidal thoughts and mood disorders” among 11-17 year olds and 18-24 year olds. For 15-17 and 18-24 year olds, these rates are even higher than at the start of 2021.
More frequent visits to the emergency room for mental health disorders
For this assessment, Santé Publique France relied on data from emergency visits from the OSCOUR® network, which brings together 680 emergency services in France. In total, the network covers 94.5% of the total passages in these services in the country. Compared to the 2018-2020 period, the data collected in 2022 show an increase in suicidal gestures among children aged 0 to 17, as well as an increase in suicidal thoughts and mood disorders. In addition, eating disorders are more common for this age group: it can be anorexia, bulimia, hyperphagia or vomiting. Visits to the emergency room for these reasons are particularly high among 15-17 year olds.
More depressive symptoms since the start of the pandemic
Recently, a study from University College London (UCL) confirmed the deterioration of adolescents’ mental health since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. In total, the researchers analyzed data from nearly 11,000 students, in two phases between the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2021. According to their findings, depressive symptoms are on the rise among high school students, i.e. those aged 11 at age 15, especially girls, compared to the first phase of the study (from the end of 2018 to the beginning of 2020). This increase leads to 60,000 additional cases for whom depressive symptoms reach a clinical threshold. The researchers estimate that if the pandemic had not happened, there would be 6% fewer teenagers in the UK showing high levels of depressive symptoms. “Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, there had been widespread concern about the increase in mental health disorders among adolescents”, recalls the main author of this study, Dr. Praveetha Patalay. Together with its co-authors, they call for a “public health policy with adequate means” to take care of the mental health of young people, who often encounter difficulties in accessing dedicated services. In France, the MonPsy system was set up for this purpose last April. After a medical consultation with a general practitioner, it is now possible to benefit from eight sessions with a psychologist supported by Health Insurance.
