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According to a Drees report revealed yesterday, two thirds of people hospitalized in 2022 for self-inflicted acts concern young, even very young, women. A strong progression which calls out.
We knew the mental health of young people and adolescents had become fragile since Covid. But it is among young women and girls that the trend is most worrying. According to a report from the Drees published this May 16, in 15 years, hospitalizations for attempted suicide or self-mutilation have increased”in a brutal and unprecedented way”. 2022 appears to be a year never equaled in the period observed since 2007.
64% of hospitalizations concern young or very young women
Thus in 2022, out of 85,000 hospitalizations in medicine and surgery (MCO) or psychiatry for a self-inflicted gesture (i.e. a blow against a wall, a burn, a scarification or a suicide attempt), 64% were women or Girls. The operating methods of these hospitalizations are largely voluntary drug poisoning (75% of hospitalizations in MCO and 61% in psychiatry) followed by injuries from sharp objects (10% in MCO and 19% in psychiatry) and “violent” gestures.
Visits to medicine and surgery seem stable for 10-14 year olds compared to the previous year, and slightly up for 15-19 year olds. But it is in the psychiatric department that the trend is consistent and visible with an increase of 246% in hospitalizations for 10-14 year olds and 163% for 15-19 year olds. Proof of an acceleration, hospitalizations of 10 to 19 year olds on this subject had doubled between 2012 and 2020 then again between 2020 and 2022.
A growing trend that does not concern boys
This sudden increase in hospitalizations for suicide attempts or self-mutilation therefore mainly concerns young girls, peaking around the age of 15. On the other hand, it is not detected in adults or in boys and young men.
Among boys aged 10 to 24, hospitalizations of course exist, but they have been stable for 15 years. The document mentions that there has been no particular increase in hospitalizations linked to risky behaviors such as physical attacks, transport accidents, taking toxic substances (the male counterpart of the actions inflicted on girls).
Two numbers to know
If mental health today remains one of the major concerns of the five-year term and a national rebuilding council (CNR) on mental health should take place in June and July, prevention must remain an everyday reflex in the environment of adolescents. If you have any questions or concerns:
0 800 235 236 is a helpline dedicated to young people and is accessible 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The 3114the national suicide prevention number, is also accessible 24/7.
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