Suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts among young adults have increased significantly since Covid, shows the latest barometer from Public Health France on Mondaya new example of deteriorating mental health among 18-24 year olds.
In this survey, carried out by telephone in 2021, among a sample of more than 24,000 people aged 18 to 85 years in mainland France and 6,500 people in the overseas departments and regions (DROM), 4.2% of respondents indicated that in the having thought about suicide for the last twelve months.
Overall, 6.8% reported attempting suicide during their lifetime and 0.5% reported attempting suicide in the past year, according to data released on National Suicide Prevention Day.
Among 18- to 75-year-olds, the prevalence of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts reported during the year has decreased slightly since 2014, while the prevalence of suicide attempts over the course of a lifetime has stabilized (the changes were measured among 18- to 75-year-olds using determined by health barometers). from the year 2000, whose methodology was comparable).
According to Public Health France, “the main result” this investigation is “a significant increase in suicidal ideation and suicide attempts over the course of life among 18- to 24-year-olds, observed over the past decade.”.
Young women in particular are affected by the phenomenon
Suicidal ideation has more than doubled among 18- to 24-year-olds since 2014 (from 3.3% to 7.2% in 2021), and suicide attempts reported during their lifetime have increased by 50% per year. compared to 2017 (from 6.1% to 9.2%) and those reported in the last twelve months by more than 60% (from 0.7% in 2017 to 1.1% in 2021 ).
These results “represent a significant change as they were lower or comparable to other age groups in the population in the health barometers before the Covid-19 pandemic”, remembers the health department. This trend reversal occurs “confirm the significant increase in complaints among the youngest”.
In this age group, the mental health of young women appears to be particularly affected: the prevalence of suicidal ideation reaches 9.4% of women aged 18 to 24 years, that of suicide attempts during their lifetime reaches 12.8% and that of suicide attempts during their lifetime of the year 2%.
Other lessons from the survey: Other categories, such as socioeconomically vulnerable people who live alone or raise their children alone, are more affected by suicidal gestures and ideas.
