Delphine Schiltz, edited by Alexandre Dalifard 12:22 p.m., January 23, 2023

January 23, World Loneliness Day… According to the latest IFOP barometer, nearly one in five French people always or often feel alone.

A high level compared to that recorded in December 2020 during the Covid crisis and which today affects more and more young people.

In the premises of the SOS Amitié association, three years after the health crisis, calls from 15-25 year olds are not decreasing.

"I'm fed up", "I'm scared", "anyway, I won't get anywhere", "no one believes me", "no one hears me".

Words from young people that Zineb, 33, a volunteer for the SOS Amitié association for a year, has collected during her telephone hotlines.

According to the association, since the Covid crisis, 17% of calls have come from young people under the age of 25.

A considerable figure compared to the French population.

“And this figure has not dropped since the end of the health crisis”, specifies Laurent Le Boterve, president of SOS Amitié Paris Île-de-France.

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A public health issue

The subjects of the calls are multiple but "that of suicide comes up much more often among young people than among other callers", says Zineb.

"Young people obviously talk about loneliness, worry about the future, worry about what they are going through in the present with their families, at school,..." And among those under 25, a worrying novelty: the loneliness of young minors.

“Mainly teenagers,” describes Zineb.

"It's absolutely not a majority", she continues, "but we still notice an increase in these calls. It's something worrying for the association and it's something that will have to be dig afterwards."

To respond to this, SOS Amitié is keeping its chat lines and mailbox open more than ever.

To be reachable from a smartphone and in complete discretion.

According to the IFOP barometer "The French and loneliness", more than three out of four French people believe that the fight against loneliness should be considered a public health issue.