A new report has revealed that France has the highest levels of depression in Europe, a trend that predates the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to worsen. According to an analysis of data from the 2019 European Health Interview Survey, France had a depression rate of around 11%, the highest among all European nations.
The report, conducted by the French Ministry of Health and Social Affairs’ statistical arm (DREES), analyzed data from over 300,000 people across the European Union, Norway, Iceland, and Serbia. This survey is conducted every six years and, for the first time, was used by DREES to assess depression levels, based on the Patient Health Questionnaire’s eight key questions. The survey evaluated whether individuals had suffered from depressive symptoms in the previous two weeks.
Lisa Troy, the study’s author, explained to Euronews Health that the survey assessed depression based on a series of criteria to determine if individuals had experienced depressive syndromes. The findings coincide with rising concerns about mental health, particularly after the pandemic, which has notably impacted young people in France and other parts of Europe.
The report also focused on two age groups: young people aged 15 to 24 and older individuals aged 70 and above. According to Jocelyne Caboche, emeritus research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France’s higher depression rates could stem from a variety of factors, though she could not pinpoint a single cause.
“While we are relatively well taken care of in terms of health and education, there still needs to be significant efforts made in caring for the elderly,” Caboche said, suggesting that better investment in psychiatry and therapeutic innovation might help reduce depression rates.
Across Europe, northern and western countries had the highest levels of depression overall. However, southern and eastern European nations, where depression is rare among young people, saw notably higher rates of depression among the elderly. For instance, in Portugal, Romania, and Croatia, more than 15% of older individuals reported suffering from depression.
The report also found that older women were more prone to depression than men, and elderly Europeans in poor health were significantly more likely to experience depressive symptoms. In countries like Croatia and Latvia, where up to 40% of seniors report poor health, depression rates were particularly high, at 16% and 9%, respectively. Social isolation and widowhood also appeared to contribute to higher depression levels in older individuals.
For younger Europeans, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland reported the highest depression rates, with western European countries following closely behind. Conversely, eastern and southern European nations had much lower levels of depression among young people. Troy remarked on the stark contrast between depression rates in younger and older populations in these regions, noting that in northern Europe, depression among older individuals tended to decrease with age.
In regions with higher depression rates among the youth, factors such as social isolation, lack of employment or education, and low income levels were strongly correlated. Caboche pointed to the role of social media, which can exacerbate feelings of depression, especially among young girls, due to body image issues, sleep deprivation, and the risks of cyber-harassment.
The report also highlighted that poor health among young people significantly increased the likelihood of depression, raising the risk by as much as 32 percentage points. While the data offers valuable insights, the authors noted that differences in mental health questionnaire methods between countries may limit the comparability of results.
This new analysis underscores the growing mental health crisis in Europe, with particular attention to the mental well-being of younger and older populations in different regions.
