Young adults are increasingly seeking out psychiatrists and psychologists. According to a study carried out jointly by Doctolib and the Fondamental Foundation, the volume of consultations with a psychiatrist made on the platform by young people between 18 and 24 years old increased by more than 50%, while appointments with a psychologist increased by more than 60%. %. At the same time, the volume of consultations by children under 17 years of age with psychologists has increased by more than 30%.
The figures echo those reported earlier this week by Public Health France. The agency emphasized that resorting to emergency care for Mood disorders, suicidal thoughts and gestures. remained at “a high level” and that the increase observed since 2020, the year that marked the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, “even continued significantly in 2023” among young people between 18 and 24 years old.
According to Public Health France, these young adults are, on average, less worried about their mental health or well-being than their elders. “Data collected since 2020 demonstrate a deterioration in mental health among adolescents and young adults and a still taboo perception of these issues,” the health agency’s director general Caroline Semaille said in a statement.
More generally, the Doctolib and Fondamental study shows that the average volume of annual consultations among psychologists registered on the platform increased by 26% between 2019 and 2022, with 593 consultations per year and per doctor last year.
However, care consumption among psychiatrists taking Doctolib has remained stable over the past four years with an average of 1,957 visits per year per doctor.
Strong disparities are observed between regions, since the increase in the use of care and the activity of mental health professionals is very marked in the Grand Est and in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
In these two regions, the average times to access care have increased considerably. For an appointment with a psychiatrist in Grand Est, it went from 14 days in 2019 to 30 days in 2022. The consultation with a psychiatrist in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes also more than doubled, going from two weeks in 2019 to 40 days in 2022 . .
Source: BFM TV
