Prevalence and factors associated with depression and suicidal ideation among French students in 2016: A national study.

Depression is one of the leading causes of morbidity worldwide and increases the risk of suicide. Students are known as a population at risk for depression. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of 12 months major depressive episode (MDE) and suicidal thoughts in French students and investigate associated factors. A questionnaire was sent by email to a representative sample of the French student population between April 28th and June 27th 2016. MDE was assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form (CIDI-SF). The response rate was 18.7% (N= 18,875). Prevalence of 12 months MDE was 15.8%, and suicidal thoughts was 9%. Factors associated with MDE were being a woman, study field (law/eco, human/social sciences, and medical), having failed midterms exams or dropout, refusal or stop social scholarship, and subjective financial difficulties. Factors associated with suicidal thoughts were study field (human/social sciences), having failed midterms exams or dropout, and important subjective financial difficulties. The use of CIDI-SF allows comparison with the 2017 French national study, and showed more MDE in students than in the general population. This is the only national study on French students before COVID 19 pandemic.

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Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Declaration of Competing Interest Y.M. received funding from the University of Paris Nanterre, Inserm, GHU Sainte-Anne, Fondation de France, Fondation Pierre Deniker. Yannick Morvan is or has been a member of various professional and scientific organisations of or involving psychologists (AEPU, AFTCC, AFRC, APA, APS, IdPsy, IEPA, FFPP, SFP). He is also a member of the scientific college of the Observatoire National de la Vie Etudiante (OVE) and of the scientific committee of the Encéphale congress. He carried out a consultancy mission for Ernst & Young in 2007. B.C. has received speaking fees from Janssen Cilag, Lundbeck and Eisai, outside the submitted work. A.C., and A.F. declare no competing interests.