October 10th is the date chosen by the World Health Organization (WHO) to “raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize effort in support of mental health”. It is also an opportunity for each country to reflect on its own situation, on what has been done and what needs to be improved in order to guarantee the same conditions of health and wellbeing to everyone. Is France doing enough for its population? And what about young people, whose mental health condition has declined due to the pandemic?

Data in hand

The French national agency for public health realises a weekly bulletin to monitor the mental health conditions of population in France (1). According to the latest data (October 2023), suicide thoughts among adolescents aged 11 to 24 have generally increased compared to the same period in 2020 and 2022, with a peak of +93% of visits to the emergency room in mid-September, when school resumed. Regarding anxiety and depressive disorders, they also grew in the same period (+176% for 11-17 year olds and +18% for people aged 18 to 24, that is +212 and +58 visits compared to previous week). Moreover, in 2023 depressive disorders’ data are significantly higher for people aged between 18 and 24 compared to previous years (2). In short, after three years from the beginning of Covid-19 pandemic, mental health continues to be a serious problem for the French population and particularly for the youth segment.

Where is the problem?

There are several factors to consider:

  • misinformation: in 2021, Ipsos led a study in order to understand the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on young people. It turned out that adolescents were concerned about their mental health, but only 46% of them was informed on what to do in case of need (3).
  • stigmatisation: there’s still a big stigma concerning mental health disorders. People who suffer from them are often isolated from the rest of the society and considered weird or mad. It’s even more complicated for adolescents, who define themselves through membership in a peer group and are constantly exposed to the discouraging and confusing process of physical and psychological growth. This brings them to avoid asking for help or even admitting to having a problem.
  • multiculturality: France is a multicultural country. This means that families and parents can have different ( if not opposite) approaches to mental health issues.
  • inequality and high costs: differences in economic status and the high costs of services, in addition to administrative difficulties, can turn young people away from seeking help.

Good news: you are not alone!

Fortunately, there are various services and opportunities related to mental health in France. They have different goals and focuses, but they all work in the same direction: to raise awareness and end the stigma surrounding mental health disorders.

ASK FOR HELP

Young people seeking immediate help can contact the hotline set up by Fil Santé Jeunes (number: 0 800 235 236). The team is composed by professionals such as psychologists, educators, doctors and social workers and aims to help young people aged from 12 to 25 dealing with mental issues or looking for answers on different topics (sex, drugs, relationships…). The hotline is reachable everyday from 9 A.M to 11 P.M, even by young people with hearing impairments. There’s also Nightline, which is a night telephonic line or chat (until 2:30 AM) led by volunteers, together with other services. Nightline also offers a service for students to help them find the nearest free psychological support in different languages.

Psychological places to go for help are:

– Les Maisons des adolescents (MDA), reception centers for young people aged from 11 to 21 established across the national territory. The reception is anonymous, free and without appointment and it is also meant for parents.

– Point Accueil Ecoute Jeunes (PAEJ), complementary to Les Maisons des Asolescents;

– Consultations Jeunes Consommateurs, for those who are facing a drug addition;

– Bureau D’Aide Psychologique Universitaire (BAPU), free for university students with a student card and a social security number.
Finally, Santé Psy Jeunes is a website for people who need to find an early intervention centre.

EDUCATE YOURSELF

Mental health concerns all, not only people who suffers from disorders. For this reason, it’s essential for everyone to be educated about it. Premiers secours en santé mentale is a civic training program for people who want to become first aider in mental health (there is a specific training for youth workers). On the PSSM site, people can also find useful informative notebooks containing good practices to face various kinds of mental disorders (depression, suicidal thoughts, psychosis, panick attack etc.). In addition, the Psycom website offers a wide range of information and tools about mental health topics and taboos.

BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS

If you want to know more about mental health, there is also another stimulating occasion to do it. It’s the Facettes Festival, an annual event created by the association Innovation citoyenne en santé mentale. It represents an opportunity to talk about mental health in a festive and creative environment. The second edition took place on September 30th and October 1st 2023 in Paris and saw the participation of a variety of people and associations active in the mental health field. The programme included speeches, exhibitions, table games, tattoo sessions, dance therapy, music, theatre, workshops, roleplay games and more.

Still not enough? A new project is coming!

Breaking Taboos about mental health is an European project created to dismantle stereotypes about mental health among young people. In order to do that, we are working on several tools (a prevention kit, guides, quiz and interactive comic books) addressed to youth workers and adolescents of different countries and cultures. We believe that, if mental health is a global issue, than it should be prioritised everywhere, by everyone and for everyone.

Sources

(1) This reviews are based on data related to the numer of visits at the emergency rooms for suicidal attempts,depression or anxiety disorder, as well as on SOS Doctors consultations, the monthy national bulletins and the regional updates : https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/les-actualites/2022/sante-mentale-des-enfants-et-adolescents-un-suivi-renforce-et-une-prevention-sur-mesure

(2) file:///Users/giulia.castelli/Downloads/bulletin_sante%20mentale_20231004.pdf

(3) https://www.ipsos.com/fr-fr/la-sante-mentale-des-18-24-ans-plus-que-preoccupante