Since 2021, the AÉSIO Foundation has been collaborating with Ifop to carry out a barometer on the mental well-being of the French. Once again this year, the 4th wave of this study sheds valuable light on the state of mind, trends and expectations of the French in terms of mental well-being.
Elisa JUNGERS, Director of the AÉSIO Foundation, reviews the main findings of this 4th wave of the barometer.
Question 1: Could you explain your Foundation’s role in promoting mental well-being in France, and how this survey fits in with your actions?
Since its creation in 2021, the AÉSIO Foundation has been working for the mental well-being of individuals throughout their lives. It provides financial and operational support for public-interest projects that advance mental health in France and help people in mental distress.
The French mental well-being barometer, carried out in collaboration with IFOP for the past four years, is an invaluable tool that enables us to track :
- changing perceptions of mental well-being in French society
- the relationship between the French and their own mental well-being
Each year, we focus on specific themes to guide our annual call for projects and the selection of winners. In 2024, our call for projects focused on the following theme: “Acting to improve the mental health of victims of violence”.
Question 2: The study shows that 53% of French people have experienced mental suffering in the last 12 months, with inequalities according to age, gender and experience of violence. How can your foundation contribute to reducing these inequalities and improving mental well-being care?
Indeed, the study indicates that certain groups, such as young people and women, are more vulnerable to mental suffering. Each year, we launch a new call for projects to address a specific issue, without targeting any particular population. The Foundation’s trustees take care to select winners who meet the mental health needs of the most vulnerable populations. Our Foundation acts as a network facilitator for these winners, offering them the opportunity to share their expertise and discuss synergies and common challenges, among themselves and with other relevant players. Over the years, by fostering these links and supporting our partners in promoting and measuring the impact of their projects, we have built up a genuine community of committed players, working collectively to meet the challenges in the field of mental health in France.
Question 3: In light of the results of this survey, what new initiatives or actions does your foundation plan to put in place to meet the growing needs in the field of mental health? How will these data influence your future priorities?
The results of the survey are rich in information and guide our actions on many levels. However, to sum up, here are the two figures that relate to our priorities that I would particularly like to highlight:
- 34% of people who have suffered violence have not recovered their mental well-being. Our call for projects entitled “Acting to improve the mental health of victims of violence” is aimed directly at this issue. The winners will be revealed at the end of October 2024.
- For 75% of those polled, mental health is a taboo subject in France. Overcoming this taboo is necessary to improve care. For 81% of those surveyed, if mental wellbeing were to become a “Grande Cause Nationale”, it would help to free the word and make the subject less taboo. The AÉSIO Foundation recently lent its support to the Alliance pour la santé mentale, an association campaigning to make mental health the Grande Cause Nationale by 2025, an ambition shared by the Prime Minister in his speech on September 22. This is a real and encouraging step forward in the recognition of the crucial issue of mental health in France!
