The figures are worrying.
According to the latest Public Health France barometer, published this Monday, suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts among young adults have increased significantly over the past ten years, and more particularly since Covid.
In the details of this survey carried out in 2021, suicidal thoughts have more than doubled since 2014 among 18-24 year olds, suicide attempts declared during their lifetime have increased by 50% compared to 2017 and those declared over the last 12 months by more than 60%.
These figures “confirm the significant increase in discomfort among the youngest”, observes the public health agency.
Also read “I stuck a knife in my stomach”: the Toulouse high school student recounts his suicide attempt in the middle of class
To prevent acts of suicide, it is still necessary to successfully detect the risk of suicide.
For Le Parisien, child psychiatrist Christine Barois explains what are the signs that should alert us, as a victim or close to a person in distress.
And how to support them.
What are the warning signs?
CHRISTINE BAROIS.
These are the signs of depression.
At first it's a sad mood, you don't want anything anymore, you have trouble getting up because you feel like you have a building to push in front of your bed.
These are people who withdraw into themselves and often feel guilty.
Physically, they no longer take care of themselves, they no longer wear makeup, for example, even though they used to.
These can be very agitated bodies, or on the contrary completely in slow motion.
It can be accompanied by weight loss or gain, with eating disorders such as snacking.
We then have sleep disorders, with insomnia or even hypersomnia.
There are also cognitive disorders.
These people have difficulty concentrating for long periods of time; a colleague or teacher may notice that they are less efficient.
What to do when you spot these signals?
For someone who is in this state, it's complicated to say to themselves
I'm not doing well, I'm not going to get through this on my own, I'm going to ask for help, I'm going to accept a diagnosis and I will accept treatment.
The first step is to tell yourself that you can't do it alone and that you need to ask for help.
For the person who is on the outside, it is also delicate because you cannot say to a depressed person
Get up and walk
.
The best solution is to make him understand that we are there and to offer him help.
Whatever happens, the approach must come from the person who is not well.
Once she accepts, we can refer her to a psychologist or even her general practitioner.
How can we explain this increase in depressive states among young adults?
Even if it is not scientifically established, I observe that there is a post-Covid and post-confinement effect.
I have the impression that there was a kind of security perimeter which had shrunk considerably during confinement and when it had to be widened afterwards, it required many people to confront real life. .
Many of them felt very well during confinement, especially the most phobic.
And it was especially for them that it was the most complicated.
However, I think we also need to be reassuring.
We have always experienced crises and we have always recovered.
You have to be positive.