Patients, caregivers, young people, people in precariousness … The pandemic also has a psychological impact

© Christelle Calmettes

Direct effects of the virus or of imprisonment, the weight of the Covid-19 pandemic on the mental health of the French should not be overlooked.

The psychological consequences of the health crisis are worrying. Those suffered by Covid patients to begin with. “At least 20% of them have psychological consequences: chronic anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depressive pathology. The neuroinflammatory disorders caused by the virus could be one of the determining factors “, wrote the Academy of Medicine in a statement.

The consequences on the general population that undergoes the second confinement, therefore. “In Rennes, compared to the same period in 2019, we welcome twice as many young patients in pediatric emergency [pour les moins de 16 ans, ndlr] for suicide attacks, three times more for anxiety disorders with somatization [des douleurs physiques inexpliquées], and four times more for anorexic disorders “Child psychiatry professor Sylvie Tordjman explains to AFP.

During his weekly update on Thursday, the Health Minister insisted on the subject. “The mental health of the French has deteriorated considerably […], with a significant increase in depressive states observed on all socio-demographic profiles “, said Olivier Véran.

According to the CoviPrev study conducted by Public Health France, depressive disorders in the general population were in fact significantly increased during this second wave, with a prevalence doubling between the end of September (11%) and the beginning of November (21%). The greatest increases were observed among young people (18-24 years and 25-34 years), “Inactive” and the “Persons who declare a very difficult financial situation”, indicates agency data.

If the Academy of Medicine requires a distinction between the“Worry, sadness, even disorder” is “Depressive illness”, several populations seem particularly fragile. These are in particular “People who are afraid for their work, those who have close relatives who are sick or dying, but also people with risk factors and who are afraid of getting sick”, explained Anne Giersch, researcher at Inserm, a publication.

Caregivers, at the forefront of the pandemic, “They are recognized at risk of presenting mental disorders, in particular depressive anxiety disorders and a state of post-traumatic stress, which underlines the need to take into account this dimension which could ultimately dissuade vocations”, explains the Academy of Medicine.

From the first wave, psychology services have been organized to come to the support of their colleagues. “Post-traumatic, death or other calls are handled internally. But these are people we might see calling each other in two or three months “Eric Henry, president of the Care for health professional association, predicted last March.