World Mental Health Day is celebrated on October 10 each year, with the aim of raising awareness of mental health issues and their importance in the world. Mental health is our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It affects our ability to manage stress, relate to others, and make decisions. Just like physical health, everyone has mental health and needs to take care of it. This health changes depending on the person and the period: it is possible to feel a feeling of well-being, at other times to have occasional symptoms affecting one’s mental health such as stress, anxiety… and finally sometimes, some people are faced with psychological disorders which can become disabling on a daily basis. This is for example the case of depression which requires the support of health professionals. It is a common mental disorder because, as the World Health Organization (WHO) states, 5% of adults suffer from it worldwide. And this knowing that it is twice as common in women as in men.
More precisely, it is appropriate to speak of “depressive disorders”, common mental disorders which affect all categories of the population and are characterized by persistent sadness or by a lasting loss of the capacity to experience interest or pleasure in activities. which previously provided them. “Depression must be distinguished from ordinary mood changes and feelings that can arise from everyday life. In the case of a depressive episode, the depressed mood is present most of the day and occurs almost daily for at least two weeks. People with depression may experience trouble sleeping and fluctuations in their appetite. They may also have low self-esteem or suicidal thoughts and feel hopeless about the future. Fatigue and difficulty concentrating are also common symptoms. “, specifies the WHO. A study carried out by OpinionWay for Inicea (110 health establishments throughout France) on the occasion of this world day reveals that they still remain subject to stigma.
Depression is an illness, not just a “blues”
The cause in particular is the lack of knowledge and information, a reality which hampers the diagnosis and treatment of the people concerned. It turns out that 71% of French people say that depressive disorders are considered taboo by those close to them (friends, family, etc.). Furthermore, barely ¼ of respondents know the prevalence of depressive disorders in France: 44% declare that depression affects 1 person in 10, 23% 1 person in 100, and 7% 1 person in 1,000. What about he really? Inserm estimates that 20% of the French population is affected, throughout their entire life and at all ages. In addition, the latest figures from the CoviPrev study, set up by Santé Publique France to assess the mental health of the French following the Covid-19 epidemic, show the importance of depressive disorders in the population. Thus, at the end of November 2023, 16% of French people showed signs of a depressive state and 23% showed signs of an anxious state. Be careful not to confuse “depressed” and “depression”, two concepts are too often confused, even though they distinguish two different realities.
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Indeed, depression corresponds to a moment of blues, sadness, discouragement, lack of enthusiasm while “ depression is by definition associated with major social dysfunction and personal suffering, which can sometimes have serious consequences in terms of social functioning, health and even death, the risk of suicide being particularly high. »underlines Inserm. The study also shows that the French tend to underestimate the biological causes of illness: a traumatic event (accident, bereavement, etc.), social isolation and stress constitute the three most common causes of depressive disorders. according to the French. However, the Foundation for Medical Research indeed certifies that the causes make it possible to classify depression into two main categories. “Reactive” or “psychogenic” depression can occur following a difficult event (such as the death of a loved one or the loss of a job) or a sudden life change requiring significant adaptation (a accident leading to a disability for example).
“It is fundamental to treat these disorders in the same way as physical illnesses”
Its appearance can also be linked to a hormonal disorder (thyroid dysregulation, postpartum, etc.) or an illness (neurological pathology, cancers, etc.). “Endogenous” depression is a category of depression which does not have a specific trigger, knowing however “that an individual dimension of genetic origin to depression has been identified, it will be expressed or not in depending on environmental factors. », Indicates the organization. Finally, when depressive symptoms persist over time (over several years) or recur, we speak of “chronic” depression. Proof of a fairly large lack of knowledge among the population in this area, the study also indicates that 1 in 5 French people think that depression “is only a form of sadness” and 1 in 4 that it is enough to “good will” to get out of it. This is a preconceived idea that is still too widespread according to the medical community, because depression being an illness and not the reflection of a weakness of character, it requires medical treatment: its cure is not a a matter of will.
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The fact remains that these erroneous perceptions contribute to stigmatizing and isolating the people concerned: 44% of French people suffering or having suffered from depression felt judged by their family, and 37% by their friends or colleagues. For some, this even leads to rejection: 30% say they have felt rejected by their family, 24% by their friends. Added to this is the fact that the despair felt by the patient can be very deep, and associated with a feeling of guilt, or even the impression of being a burden on those around them. “ Depressive disorders still refer in the collective imagination to an inability to manage situations, emotions… However, it is a real illness, and like other illnesses, it can be treated! It is fundamental to identify these disorders and treat them in the same way as physical illnesses. Because psychological disorders require serious attention and early intervention, prejudices must no longer delay the diagnosis of those affected and their access to care. “, underlines Dr Claire Gindre, expert psychiatry doctor at the Medical Department of Clariane France.
Note that although the neurobiological origin of the disease is still not well understood, effective drug treatments exist and can improve, or even cure, a majority of characterized depressive episodes. “ It is therefore important that the management of the first and subsequent depressive episodes is carried out correctly. The goal of treatment is the reduction of symptoms and their consequences and the prevention of subsequent recurrences. », attests Inserm. In the case of mild or moderate depression, psychotherapy alone can be effective: those of the “cognitive-behavioral” type aim to adopt new behaviors to the detriment of negative thoughts. In addition, drug treatment can be offered but just like the disease itself, antidepressants are also the subject of many preconceived ideas that are still very present. In cases of severe depression, transcranial magnetic stimulation would promote activation of the prefrontal cortex, dopaminergic neurotransmission and inhibit certain regions involved in mood regulation.
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