Health. Young girls are most at risk for suicide attempts and self-harm.

In 2023, 74,039 visits to emergency rooms for suicidal acts were recorded in France, according to the Public Health France report on the annual surveillance of suicidal behavior (excluding the Corsica and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions*).

More than two-thirds of these (66.2%) involved women, often young women. The 25-44 and 18-24 age groups were the most represented among women, at 23.7% and 22.4% respectively.

Adolescent girls aged 11 to 17 accounted for 21% of emergency department visits for suicidal acts, a figure much higher than for boys of the same age (7%). Among men, the age groups most at risk were 25-44 years (36.8%) and 45-64 years (26.9%).

The number of hospitalizations for self-inflicted acts (suicide attempts and self-mutilation) increased by 2.9% to 91,162 hospitalizations, with a sharp increase among women.

"Compared to the pre-pandemic level of 2019, the standardized hospitalization rate for women was significantly higher, going from 153 to 168 hospitalizations per 100,000 women (i.e. +10.0%), while it was lower for men (from 105 to 97 hospitalizations per 100,000 men, i.e. -8.0%)," specifies Public Health France.

In all regions of France, HGAIs affect women in 65% of cases, particularly young girls and young women aged 11 to 24.

" Girls aged 15 to 17 had the highest rate of all age groups and sexes combined with 737.1 HGAI per 100,000 girls; 11-14 year olds had a rate of 423 per 100,000." These rising rates among girls have been observed for several years.

After a decline in 2020, they have increased sharply since the health crisis. The increase continued in 2023 for young women aged 18 to 24, but appeared to be contained among 15- to 17-year-olds and 11- to 14-year-olds.

Among men, no significant increase in hospitalizations has been observed since 2019, and the distribution by age group is quite different. "Those aged 18-24 and 25-44 had the highest hospitalization rates, with 149.5 and 147.3 hospitalizations per 100,000 men, respectively," specifies Public Health France.

In 2023, nearly 3 out of 4 suicide deaths were among men, with the highest rate among men aged 65 and over.

*The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and Corsica regions were excluded from the count following a malfunction in the software used in emergency rooms in these regions, leading to an underestimation of the number of cases of suicide in these regions and, consequently, at the national level.

If you are in distress and/or have suicidal thoughts, or if you want to help someone who is suffering, you can contact the national suicide prevention number, 3114.