Evolution of emergency department visits for self-harm and suicidal ideation in France, 2017-2025

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted mental health issues, particularly among young people. This study examines trends in emergency department (ED) visits for self-harm (SH) and suicidal ideation (SI) from 2017 to 2025.

Methods

We analysed data from French EDs within the OSCOUR® network (97% of national visits). Using ICD-10 codes reported as primary or associated diagnoses, we calculated annual numbers of ED visits for SH (X60–X64, X66–X84, T39, T42-T43, T50, T60, T71, Y87.0) and SI (R45.8) and their proportion relative to all coded visits. The analysis was stratified by age group (<15, 15–17, 18–24, 25–64, 65+) and gender. A quasi-Poisson regression model was used, with year as a covariate.

Results

In 2025, SH accounted for 29,826 visits in men (0.31% of total visits in men) and 59,284 in women (0.64%), while SI accounted for 24,022 visits in men (0.25%) and 32,421 in women (0.35%). SH and SI rates were consistently higher in women, except for SI in the 25–64 age group. Among women aged <25, SH rates were stable until 2019 and rose afterward: from 1.40% in 2019 to 2.46% in 2025 (RR = 1.76, 95% CI [1.57–1.97]) in the 15–17 age group, and from 0.96% to 1.52% (RR = 1.58 [1.46–1.72]) in the 18–24 age group. For men <25, SH rates increased in 2020, declined until 2022–2023, then rose again to 0.48% (15-17 age group) and 0.57% (18-24 age group) – levels comparable to 2020. For both genders aged over 25, SH rates declined until 2022, then stabilized. SI rates rose across all age groups from 2017 to 2025, with some increases being sharper in 2020-2021, particularly among women aged 15–17 (0.24% to 1.88%, RR = 7.85 [6.37–9.81]) and 18–24 (0.06% to 0.70%, RR = 11.1 [9.6–12.9]), and men aged 18–24 (0.06% to 0.39%, RR = 6.8 [5.8–8.0]).

Conclusions

These preliminary results show distinct trends in ED visits for SH by gender and age. The rise in SI visits since 2020 may stem from both the pandemic’s impact on youth mental health and changes in coding practices.

Key messages

• ED visits for self-harm in France increased among women under 25 from 2019 to 2025, and among men aged 15-24 from 2023 to 2025, reaching levels last observed in 2020.

• ED visits for suicidal ideation in France increased across all genders and age groups from 2017 to 2025. Beyond the decline in mental health, this trend may be related to changes in coding practices.