Rising Mental Health Concerns in Post-COVID France
New study highlights increased suicidal thoughts among young adults and emotional difficulties in children and adolescents.
A recent study has documented a significant decline in mental health in France following the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing increased rates of suicidal thoughts particularly among young adults, along with greater emotional difficulties in children and adolescents.
This report, released on June 4, 2025, draws on findings from the EpiCov survey, which assessed the ongoing impact of the pandemic on living conditions and health in France.
The study involved approximately 64,000 individuals aged 15 and older, representative of the French population excluding Guyane, Mayotte, and residents of nursing homes or prisons.
The survey was conducted in four phases from the spring of 2020 to the autumn of 2022, organized by the social ministries' statistical service (Drees) in collaboration with Inserm, Santé publique France, and Insee.
The latest findings indicate an increase in suicidal thoughts among adults from 2.8% in autumn 2020 to 3.4% in autumn 2022, with a pronounced rise among those under 25, reaching 8.7% among young women.
Depressive syndromes show a more complex picture: there was a slight decline in the frequency of mild depressive symptoms, decreasing from 10.6% to 9.6% between 2021 and 2022. However, the prevalence of major depressive syndromes remained unchanged, affecting 5.3% of the population by autumn 2022.
For young people aged 15-24, the prevalence of depressive syndromes was significantly higher in 2022 compared to levels before the pandemic, which had already increased notably between 2014 and 2019. By contrast, rates for individuals aged 35 and over returned to below pre-pandemic levels, and those aged 65 and older were even lower than in 2014.
The study identified various risk factors associated with depressive syndromes, including all forms of discrimination (based on age, gender, origin, weight, disability), identification as homosexual or bisexual, excessive screen time (more than six hours daily outside of professional use), and frequent social media usage (at least once an hour).
Additionally, financial difficulties, social isolation, and chronic illness were closely linked to higher rates of depression.
Among children and adolescents aged 5-17, particularly girls, there was a notable increase in emotional difficulties, such as feelings of sadness or anxiety, recorded between 2021 and 2022. In terms of mental health care, consultations with general practitioners decreased by 2%, leaving only 5% of adults seeking this service, while consultations with specialists, including psychologists and psychiatrists, rose by 2 percentage points to 6% and by 1 percentage point to 3%, respectively.
The non-utilization of mental health services has become alarming, with approximately half of individuals reporting suicidal thoughts and over 60% of those experiencing severe depressive or anxiety symptoms not seeking care.
This report, released on June 4, 2025, draws on findings from the EpiCov survey, which assessed the ongoing impact of the pandemic on living conditions and health in France.
The study involved approximately 64,000 individuals aged 15 and older, representative of the French population excluding Guyane, Mayotte, and residents of nursing homes or prisons.
The survey was conducted in four phases from the spring of 2020 to the autumn of 2022, organized by the social ministries' statistical service (Drees) in collaboration with Inserm, Santé publique France, and Insee.
The latest findings indicate an increase in suicidal thoughts among adults from 2.8% in autumn 2020 to 3.4% in autumn 2022, with a pronounced rise among those under 25, reaching 8.7% among young women.
Depressive syndromes show a more complex picture: there was a slight decline in the frequency of mild depressive symptoms, decreasing from 10.6% to 9.6% between 2021 and 2022. However, the prevalence of major depressive syndromes remained unchanged, affecting 5.3% of the population by autumn 2022.
For young people aged 15-24, the prevalence of depressive syndromes was significantly higher in 2022 compared to levels before the pandemic, which had already increased notably between 2014 and 2019. By contrast, rates for individuals aged 35 and over returned to below pre-pandemic levels, and those aged 65 and older were even lower than in 2014.
The study identified various risk factors associated with depressive syndromes, including all forms of discrimination (based on age, gender, origin, weight, disability), identification as homosexual or bisexual, excessive screen time (more than six hours daily outside of professional use), and frequent social media usage (at least once an hour).
Additionally, financial difficulties, social isolation, and chronic illness were closely linked to higher rates of depression.
Among children and adolescents aged 5-17, particularly girls, there was a notable increase in emotional difficulties, such as feelings of sadness or anxiety, recorded between 2021 and 2022. In terms of mental health care, consultations with general practitioners decreased by 2%, leaving only 5% of adults seeking this service, while consultations with specialists, including psychologists and psychiatrists, rose by 2 percentage points to 6% and by 1 percentage point to 3%, respectively.
The non-utilization of mental health services has become alarming, with approximately half of individuals reporting suicidal thoughts and over 60% of those experiencing severe depressive or anxiety symptoms not seeking care.
