the poorest children are three times more often hospitalized for psychiatric problems than others

Children living below the poverty line are three times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric problems than others. This is what a study published by Public Health France revealed on Tuesday January 9. Led by Health Insurance, the study identified millions of medical procedures carried out in 2018 among all children under the age of 18 in France, or 13 million children.

According to this study, among the two to three million children who benefit from universal health coverage (CMU), reserved for the poorest, certain pathologies recur more often than among other children. “Of the ten most common illnesses observed, 6 out of 10 were psychiatric, notably mental retardation or emotional delay”specifies to franceinfo Philippe Tuppin, from Health Insurance.

The study notes that precariousness and the living environment impact the mental health of the poorest children. Dr Philippe Tuppin points out “a problem of supervision of a family environment, of care, with deferred attention”. The doctor adds that in “very sensitive periods for the child” at an age when “it develops”these pathologies are “relatively heavy”.

Identify psychiatric disorders as early as possible

The study emphasizes the need to identify these psychiatric disorders early, and to protect these children from poor backgrounds by taking care of them quickly to avoid more serious consequences in adulthood. “Many pathologies are more frequent in the presence of social disadvantage (especially financial), notably mental disorders. However, their identification remains difficult due to a lack of collection or completeness from specialized childhood centers in the National Health Data System”concludes the study.