Mental health crisis reaches new lows for French teens
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In France, the mental health of young people has deteriorated in recent years, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic. In this edition, we met several young people suffering from mental health struggles, who shared their stories in the hope of overcoming taboos.
With one third of young people in France suffering from a mental health disorder, we take a closer look at the effects on their day-to-day lives. Adolescence is a sensitive period, "the age of all dangers" according to many psychologists, where teenagers navigate profound changes.
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The mental health of many young French people has deteriorated in recent years, particularly since the Covid-19 health crisis. The rate of hospital admissions for suicide attempts and self-harm has skyrocketed, particularly among young girls. Increasing numbers of teenagers and young adults are suffering from depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder usually develop between the ages of 15 and 25. Indeed, 75 percent of chronic psychiatric illnesses appear before the age of 25.
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As the French government pledges to tackle mental health struggles, we met with several young people suffering from some of these disorders. These youngsters were willing to tell their stories with the hope of overcoming the taboos that still surround mental health issues.
