Business leaders, craftsmen and traders, among the populations most at risk of suicide

According to this survey, carried out at the end of September in direct connection with the health crisis and its induced economic and social effects, among the 20% of people questioned who said they had already seriously considered committing suicide in their life, 11% said they had considered it during the period of the first confinement and 17% since its end.

"This should make us collectively aware that the crisis is before us", warn the authors, Michel Debout, professor of forensic medicine and health law, member of the national suicide observatory and co-author of the survey with Jérôme Fourquet from Ifop.

They recall that since the crisis of 1929 in the United States, "all the studies show that the suicidal effects of the crises are felt within a period of several months or even a few years". For that of 2008, it was in 2009 and 2010 that the peak of suicides was identified.

They also note "an essential difference between the first confinement, where solidarity was able to be expressed", and that in force since October 30 which "causes incomprehension in particular of the economic sectors which must cease their activity".

Three socio-professional categories very affected

The survey identifies three socio-professional categories that are very affected: business leaders, 27% of whom had the real intention of committing suicide in 2020, artisans and traders, of whom 25% also wanted to, and the unemployed ( 27%).

Among the artisans-traders who have considered a suicide attempt, 42% say they have acted, with hospitalization.

"This proportion represents the highest rate of our investigation and shows the particular gravity of these situations which should alert the public authorities", underline the authors. They point to "the major impact of the shutdown of activity linked to confinement followed by the great difficulties in restarting which mainly affected small and medium-sized enterprises", of which subcontractors in the construction sector are the most concerned.

The survey notes that 27% of those who say they have thought of committing suicide (general population) took action, with hospitalization, in 2020, against 22% in 2016, according to another survey by the Jaurès foundation.

This is particularly marked among young people: in 2016, among those under 35 who had already considered a suicide attempt, 26% said they had made an attempt resulting in hospitalization, against 33% four years later, "a very high level. worrying ", say the authors.

They partly explain this reality by "the difficulties of professional and social integration, of training", as well as by the difficulty to follow or to continue adapted care.

The unemployed are also very affected: 27% say they have already seriously considered committing suicide in 2020, 34% of whom say they have been hospitalized after taking action.

The survey was carried out from September 21 to 28 with 2.000 respondents using the quota method, in comparison with a previous study carried out in February 2016 also for the Jean Jaurès foundation.