Overview

• Commissioned by Mutualité française, Institut Montaigne and Institut Terram, the Ipsos poll ran April 14–30 among 5,633 people aged 15–29 and used the PHQ-9 screening tool, indicating probable symptoms rather than clinical diagnoses.
• Prevalence averages about 39% in the overseas territories, reaching 52% in French Guiana, 44% in Martinique and 43% in Mayotte, compared with metropolitan variations such as 19% in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté and 28% in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Corsica, and 27% in urban areas versus 20% in rural areas.
• Young women screen positive more often than young men (27% versus 22%), the gap is widest among those under 22, and rates peak around ages 22 to 25.
• Respondents describe persistent loneliness and precarious conditions as key pressures, and roughly one third reported having had dark thoughts in the two weeks before the survey.
• Only 38% have ever discussed their mental health with a professional and many who felt they needed help did not seek care due to fear of judgment, cost or doubts about effectiveness, with even lower consultation rates reported in the overseas territories.