Mental Health Inequalities: Prevalence of Depression and Health-Seeking Behaviors in the General Population of French Guiana
by
, ,
Mathieu Nacher
1,2,*
,
Astrid van Melle
1,2
,
Estelle Thomas
1,
Johanna Pavie
3,
Blandine Solignat
4,
Imane Benradia
5,
Deborah Sebbane
5,
Jean Luc Roelandt
5,
Caroline Janvier
6,
Francois Lair
6 and
Vincent Bobillier
6 1
CIC INSERM 1424, CHU Guyane, Cayenne 97300, French Guiana
2
UA17 INSERM Amazonian Population Health, University of French Guiana, Cayenne 97300, French Guiana
3
Groupe SOS, Plateforme Rétablissement, Cayenne 97300, French Guiana
4
Espace de Reflexion Ethique, CHU Guyane, Cayenne 97300, French Guiana
5
Centre Collaborateur de l’OMS Pour la Recherche et la Formation en Santé Mentale-CCOMS, Service de l’EPSM Lille-Métropole, 59487 Lille, France
6
Service de Psychiatrie, Centre Hospitalier de Cayenne, Cayenne 97300, French Guiana
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Psychiatry Int. 2026, 7(5), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7050228
Submission received: 8 July 2025
/
Revised: 16 October 2025
/
Accepted: 25 December 2025
/
Published: 8 October 2026
Abstract
Background: The population of French Guiana is young, poor, and multicultural. We thus hypothesized that the epidemiology of depression and its care may differ from that in mainland France. We took the opportunity of the Mental Health in the General Population survey to estimate the overall prevalence of depression in the general population and its prevalence in different sociodemographic subgroups using the MINI interview. Methods: The cross-sectional survey was conducted 881 persons aged > 17 years were interviewed and analyzed. Results: There were 151 current depressive episodes setting the prevalence at 17.1% (95% confidence interval = 14.8–19.8%). For recurrent depression, the prevalence was 7.9% (95% confidence interval = 6.3–9.9%). The prevalence of current depression was independently greater among younger age groups than those aged 65 or more (age ≤ 25 years (aPR = 4.4 (95% CI = 1.5–12.3), p = 0.004); age 26–35 years (aPR = 3.3 (95% CI = 1.2–9), p = 0.01) persons who did not complete primary education (aPR = 1.9 (95% CI = 1–3.5), p = 0.04), those who earned less than EUR 840 (aPR = 2 (95% CI = 1.1–3.8), p = 0.04), and those who were separated or divorced relative to those married or in a couple (aPR = 2.2 (95% CI = 1.1–4.5), p = 0.02). For recurrent depressive episodes, multiple Poisson regression found that younger age categories relative to those aged > 65 years ≤ 25 years (aPR = 9.9 (95% CI = 1.1–85.9), p = 0.04), those aged 26–35 years (aPR = 9.3 (95% CI = 1.1–78.9), p = 0.04), and female sex (aPR = 2.04 (95% CI = 1.2–3.4), p = 0.007) were independently associated with the outcome. Conclusions: Depression is more frequent in French Guiana than in mainland France and is strongly associated with youth and poverty.
1. Introduction
French Guiana is a French overseas territory located between Brazil and Suriname. French Guiana paradoxically has one of the highest GDP per capita in Latin America and one of the lowest of all French territories (with the exception of Mayotte). In the region, the promise of better prospects attracts a massive flow of immigrants with 30% of the population and nearly half of adults coming from another country. Despite this promise, in reality, half of the population lives under the French poverty threshold and costs are 10–20% above those in mainland France. There is a long list of ways in which there is a social gap with mainland France: The educational level is much lower, single parents are far more frequent, unemployment is higher, housing is a problem, and shantytowns and violence proliferate; the emigration of young adults to mainland France [1] distorts local demography and social relations, and informal solidarities are declining [2].
Such factors have shown significant relations with depression in a recent umbrella review [3]. Given the above local context, depression was recently found to be more frequent in French Guiana than in mainland France. Hence, in 2019, the European health survey found that prevalence was 20% in French Guiana versus 11% in mainland France. Major depression was also more frequent in French Guiana than in mainland France (8% versus 4%) [3]. Depression struck mostly in the poorest households and rose from 6% to 8% between the 2014 and 2019 surveys, and 9.6% in 2021 [4,5]. Persons in French Guiana were also more likely to state that they lacked social support than in mainland France (17.5% vs. 13%, respectively) [3]. Despite this, national statistics usually find that the population takes fewer psychotropic medications and that the overall suicide rate is lower in French Guiana than in mainland France [6], with the substantial exception of the remote Amerindian villages of the interior where suicide rates are staggeringly high [7]. Although these comparative estimates of depression are instructive, they rely on the short form of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI-SF), which is a useful screening tool but has a lower sensitivity and specificity than the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Thus, confirming these estimates seemed useful.
In the context of French Guiana—youth, poverty, multiculturality, and insufficient access to care—we hypothesized that epidemiology of depression and its care may differ substantially relative to mainland France. Given the heterogeneous make-up of the population of French Guiana, and lack of data on various psychiatric conditions [8], we took the opportunity of the Mental Health in the General Population survey to estimate the overall prevalence of depression in the general population and its prevalence in different sociodemographic subgroups using the MINI interview.
2. Methods
2.1. The Mental Health in the General Population Survey
This study was first implemented in 1999 by the French WHO Collaborating Centre [WHOCC]. The Mental Health in the General Population (MHGP) survey was deployed across various sites in mainland France and overseas territories, including French Guiana. The methodology has been detailed in ref. [9]. We analyzed the cross-sectional Mental Health in the General Population [MHGP] of French Guiana. The inclusion criteria included the following: [i] proficiency in French, [ii] informed consent, [iii] age > 18 years, and [iv] non-residence in a care institution or homelessness. A quota-sampling method was used to obtain a representative sample of the general population concerning age, gender, and educational and occupational level. The census figures from 1999 provided by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies [INSEE] served as a reference to guide quotas.
2.2. Study Sample
The survey was conducted in French Guiana in 6 municipalities [Cayenne, Macouria, Matoury, Roura, Montsinéry-Tonnégrande, and Rémire-Montjoly]. A local group of researchers and mental health professionals (CJ, AVM, JP, BS) coordinated with the WHO mental health coordinating center in Lille to prepare implementation according to the planned methodology. After receiving a special 3-day training course the interviewers administered the 50-item structured questionnaire in ≈40 min face-to-face interviews. Overall, 900 individuals aged > 17 years were interviewed. Participation in the study was voluntary. Anonymous data were collected using questionnaires administered in face-to-face interviews by trained interviewers. Four languages were used: French, French Guianese Creole, Portuguese, and English.
2.3. Data Used
The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview was used [MINI] [French version 5.0.0]. The MINI is a standardized psychiatric interview, that screens for mental health disorders. The inter-rater and test-retest reliability and validity of the MINI have been previously verified [10]. The MINI is based on the 10th International Classification of Diseases criteria [ICD-10] and in the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [DSM-IV]. MHGP interviewers [nurses and psychologists] were trained by WHOCC experts about MINI administration. The present study focused on ongoing depression and recurrent depression [F32 and F33 in the ICD10].
We used sociodemographic variables often associated with mental health: age [≤25, [26–35], [36–45], [46–55], [56–65], >65 years], sex, education (no education or primary level, secondary level, university level), marital status (married or co-residing with a partner, single/separated/divorced/widowed), occupation (employed, unemployed or inactive, i.e., retiree, student, or stay-at-home parent), and monthly household income.
2.4. Statistical Analyses
A total of 881 participants were analyzed. We first computed the overall prevalence and 95% confidence intervals [95% CI] for depressive episode and for recurrent depression and then estimated prevalence rates for different sociodemographic subgroups. Two-way tables and Chi-square tests looked for statistical differences.
We performed simple and multivariate analyses to compute crude and adjusted prevalence ratio using Poisson regression using depressive episode and then recurrent depression as dependent variables. Adjustment for potential risk factors and confounding [other mental health diagnoses, site, age, sex, marital status, education level, occupational activity, and monthly income]. We computed a sociodemographic model and a model with other psychiatric diagnoses to avoid overfitting. The model fit was tested using the Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness of fit tests. Prevalence ratios [PR] and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Statistical significance was 5%.
Data analysis used STATA 16, Stata corporation [College Station, TX, USA].
2.5. Human Ethics and Consent to Participate
The research followed the principles of the Helsinki declaration. The study was funded by the French Ministry of Health. The protocol of the mental health in the general population survey was declared to and approved by the comité consultatif pour le traitement de l’information en matière de recherche dans le domaine de la santé (CCTIRS) committee.
Clinical trial number: not applicable. All patients gave informed written consent.
3. Results
Overall, 881 persons were analyzed. Table 1 shows the population characteristics. Two thirds of the population sampled were of French origin. Over a third of the sample had less than secondary education and 14.4% had a family monthly income below EUR 840. Less than a half of the sample were in a couple. About two thirds of non-students were professionally active
4. Prevalence Estimates
4.1. Overall Prevalence
There were 151 current depressive episodes setting the prevalence at 17.1% (95% confidence interval = 14.8–19.8%). For recurrent depression, there were 70 episodes, and the prevalence was 7.9% (95% confidence interval = 6.3–9.9%).
4.2. Prevalence in Different Subgroups
Table 2 shows that prevalence of current and of recurrent depression was higher among women than among men (respectively p = 0.1 and p < 0.008). The prevalence of current and recurrent depression was higher among the youngest age groups (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). When comparing the prevalence of current and recurrent depression by income level, the difference was statistically significant for current depression (p < 0.0001) while for recurrent depression, it was not (p = 0.16). Neither current depression nor recurrent depression differed significantly by education level (p = 0.27 and p = 0.45, respectively). Current depression was significantly more prevalent among single or divorced/separated persons than other groups (p < 0.001). A similar trend was present for recurrent depression, but the difference failed to reach statistical significance (p = 0.12). Although Haiti and French Guiana seemed to have higher a prevalence of current and recurrent depression than others, this was not statistically significant (p = 0.12 and p = 0.67). Table 2 also shows that the prevalence of current, but not recurrent, depression was higher among the unemployed (p = 0.002 and p = 0.50, respectively).
For current depressive episodes Table 3 shows that, after adjustments, the prevalence was significantly greater among younger age groups, persons who did not complete primary education, those who earned less than EUR 840, and those who were separated or divorced.
For recurrent depressive episodes, multiple Poisson regression found that younger age categories < 25 years (aPR = 9.9 (95% CI = 1.1–85.9), p = 0.04), those aged 25–34 years (aPR = 9.3 (95% CI = 1.1–78.9), p = 0.04) relative to those aged > 65 years, and that female sex (aPR = 2.04 (95% CI = 1.2–3.4), p = 0.007), were independently associated with the outcome.
Not taking recurrent depressive episodes into account, the prevalence of mood disorders in the past 2 years was 4.6% (95% CI = 3.3–6.2). The prevalence of persons having presented manic episodes during their lifetime was 2.1% (95% CI = 1.3–3.3).
After adjusting for other psychiatric disorders, the only diagnoses that were independently associated with a current depressive episode were recurrent depression (Prevalence ratio = 7.3 (95% CI = 4.90–11.05)) mood disorder (Prevalence ratio = 3.3 (95% CI = 1.8–5.9)), and generalized anxiety (Prevalence ratio = 2 (95% CI = 1.3–3.1)). For recurrent depression, none of the other diagnoses were independently associated with the outcome.
Interactions between gender, age, and income were not significant and removed from the model.
5. Care and Treatment
Among the 151 with a current depressive episode, only 51 (33.7%) sought help and 31 (20%) consulted a general health professional, mostly a general practitioner (n = 20). The poorest were least likely to consult (8/37 among those with a household income below EUR 840, 18/45 among those with a household income between EUR 840–2520, and 13/23 among those with a household income > EUR 2520, p = 0.022). Overall, 23/51 consulted a mental health professional (psychologist n = 14, psychiatrist n = 8, other 1). The condition improved in 33/51, remained the same in 15/31, and worsened in 3/31. Apart from health professionals, 88/150 went to see a friend or relative for the current episode.
Overall, 13 persons (8.6%) were hospitalized for the current depressive episode. Overall suicide risk was low for 91 persons, medium for 41 persons, and high for 19 persons.
Overall, 30/151 (19.9%) took medication for depression and 18 underwent psychotherapy. Pooling medication and therapy 39 (25.7%) had some form of treatment for their depression. Persons were more likely to report taking traditional treatments 54/151 (35.7%) than medication for their current depressive episode. Those taking traditional treatments were also more likely to take medication, p = 0.008. Women were more likely to take medication than men for their current depressive episode (respectively, 23/89 vs. 7/62, p = 0.027). Similarly, women were more likely to take traditional medicine than men for their current depressive episode (respectively, 39/89 vs. 15/62, p = 0.013). Regarding magic-religious treatments only, 5/149 (3.3%) respondents with current depression declared resorting to such treatment (three said they improved). Seventeen (11.33%) declared they had been treated by a religious person, mostly a Christian minister (16/17) and 11 said they had improved and 10 were still seeing that religious person.
When asked what was the most efficient treatment 18/61 cited traditional medicine, 10/61 cited religion, 8/61 cited medication, and 8/61 cited psychotherapy.
Cross-tabulations yielded no significant association between medical treatment, psychotherapy, traditional medicine, religious treatment, and sociodemographic variables.
6. Discussion
Here, we found an overall prevalence of depression of 17.1% in French Guiana. This is consistent with the 20% PHQ-8-based estimates from the European health survey and is significantly greater than the 11% MHGP estimate for mainland France (p < 0.001). For recurrent depression, the overall prevalence was also greater in French Guiana than in mainland France (respectively, 7.9% vs. 5.6%, p = 0.003).
Among the poorest, over a third had current depression and among those aged 18–25 years, over 30% had current depression. After adjusting for confounding, women, younger age groups, low-income persons, divorced or separated persons, and low education levels were independently associated with a depressive episode at the time of the survey. Although the Easterlin paradox stated that subjective well-being did not increase with a country’s GDP per capita, for those living in poverty, there is a clear link between financial hardship and depression [11]. Although there could be different cultural or neurogenetic explanations for why depression is so frequent in French Guiana, the data points to socioeconomic determinants and mental health inequality. As elsewhere, there has been a gradual increase in the prevalence of depression among young adults between birth cohorts [12]. Such generational changes show the impact of culture on the individual. Hence cultures and future expectations differ between regions and time periods. Although on many levels, French Guiana differs from mainland France, it seems that the secular trend of rising depression in young adults applies on both sides of the ocean. But it must be emphasized that the high prevalence rate in young adults is aligned with the prevalence of poverty in the population where 73.9% of persons aged less than 30 years live under the poverty threshold, harsh conditions that presumably weigh on the mental health of this subgroup [13]. The prevalence of depression is greater among women across different locations or age groups, but here, it must also be emphasized that the high proportion of single mothers, [14] 31%, and reports of nutritional insecurity among pregnant women [15] hint at a greater impact of poverty on women, notably young mothers. Indeed, over half of children live in single parent families and 64% of these families live under the poverty threshold [16]. In 2010, a longitudinal study showed that poverty at the 14-year follow-up was the strongest predictor of adolescent and young adult anxiety and depression [17]. Among university students in French Guiana, there was a strong link between food insecurity and depression [18]. The social context, approached by the unemployment rate, poverty rate, crime rate, divorce rate, the erosion of classical social relations, and the rise of virtual social networks, may thus impact mental health in many different ways. Given the difficult living conditions for a substantial part of the population who lack the basics—food, a home, stability, and security—it may not be pathological to be depressed when one’s history and the present are dominated by struggles to survive, and the future holds no better prospects.
While about one-third of people with depression receive treatment globally [16], in French Guiana, it was less than 20% for depression medication and a quarter including medication and psychotherapy. This is consistent with the 2014 health barometer survey, which also found lower psychotropic drug consumption than in mainland France [4]. This low treatment rate is closer to estimates from low and middle income countries [19], which is surprising given the fact that French Guiana is a French territory with a universal health system. Hence, only a third of persons with a current depressive episode sought help from a health professional and the poorest were least likely to do so. Moreover, reliance on the Western health system seemed to take a back seat relative to traditional medicine or spiritual help. Persons were more likely to report taking traditional treatments than medication for their current depressive episode, but there was no antagonism between the two. In fact, those who took medicine were also more likely to take traditional medicine as well. Women were both more likely to take medication and traditional medicine than men. Persons also cited traditional medicine and religion as most useful for their depression than medical treatment or psychotherapy. This suggests that persons may initially rely on their cultural and spiritual ties to alleviate their psychological distress rather than on Western medicine or institutions [20]. Perhaps given the weight of poverty in French Guiana, turning towards ways to reinforce social ties seems understandable. However, another complementary hypothesis is that persons with mental health issues have difficulties in accessing care and renounce care and thus fall back on more accessible alternative solutions.
The suicide risk was greater in French Guiana than in the MHGP study in mainland France (respectively, low risk 10.3% vs. 9.8%, medium risk 4.7% vs. 2.2%, and high risk 2.2% vs. 1.7%, p = 001). Given this and the high prevalence of depression among the surveyed, it is rather surprising to find that the overall suicide rate of French Guiana is significantly lower than that of mainland France. Perhaps, despite the widespread socioeconomic difficulties, anomie is less prevalent than in mainland France with remaining social solidarities to buffer the impact of poverty. However, this global estimate hides a major exception: the persistent problem of suicide among isolated Amerindian villages [7].
Global estimates from the WHO placed the proportion of the global population with depression in 2015 at 4.4%—much lower than our estimates—and suggested that prevalence peaked in older adulthood, a finding that we did not replicate [21]
. Studies use different tools (CIDI, PHQ-8, MINI) to assess depression and different time horizons which makes comparisons difficult. A study comparing 12-month prevalence with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) found the prevalence of depression among high income countries, ranging from 2.2% in Japan to 8.8% in the USA and in low and middle income, ranging from 3.8% in China to 10.4% in Brazil [22], figures that are much lower than what we observed in French Guiana. The MINI tool evaluates the presence or the absence of symptoms, but it does not evaluate their severity. The MINI is a shorter interview than the CIDI and it is more sensitive but less specific [10].
Among the potential limitations of the present results, one could argue that the MINI questionnaire may not be optimal for persons for all cultures and languages, which may cause bias in multicultural French Guiana. The survey overrepresents coastal French Guiana relative to the interior of French Guiana where mental health issues are a major public health problem. The quota method was based on the global population structure, which may differ between communities. The breakdown of analyses in different subgroups leads to a loss of statistical power, which may have led to missing less salient differences. Despite these potential limitations, the present study followed a robust methodology that has been deployed in many different countries and consolidates estimates of the prevalence of depression for the general population of French Guiana.
In conclusion, we show that prevalence of depression was high and that sociodemographic variables, such as female sex, younger age groups, low income, being divorced or separated, and low education levels, were independently associated with greater depression prevalence. For reasons that should be clarified, most persons with depression had not consulted and relied on traditional medicine and spiritual guidance from their pastor. The most parsimonious explanation to these findings is explained by mental health inequalities in a territory burdened by widespread poverty, psychosocial stress, and difficulties in accessing medical services.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing: M.N. Investigation, Pro-ject administration, Writing—review & editing: A.v.M. Project administration, Writing—review & editing: E.T. In-vestigation, Writing—review & editing: J.P., B.S. Data curation, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Supervision, Validation, Writing—review & editing: I.B. Funding acquisition, Project administration, Supervision, Writing—review & editing: D.S. Investigation, Writing—review & editing: E.T. Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Writing—review & editing: J.L.R. Investigation, Project administration, Supervision, Writing—review & editing: C.J. Validation, Writing—review & editing: F.L. Supervision, Validation, Writing—review & editing: V.B. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
The study was funded by the French ministry of health.
Institutional Review Board Statement
The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Ethics Committee of Comité d’Evaluation Ethique de l’Inserm (protocol code No. 24-1135 and approved on 10 December 2024).
Informed Consent Statement
Informed consent was obtained from all participants involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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Table 1.
Characteristics of the persons included in the Mental Health in the General Population survey.
Table 1.
Characteristics of the persons included in the Mental Health in the General Population survey.
| Variable * | N | % |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | ||
| Mainland France | 139 | 15.80 |
| French Guiana | 382 | 43.41 |
| French Antilles | 62 | 7.05 |
| Brazil | 50 | 5.68 |
| Guyana | 15 | 1.70 |
| Haiti | 173 | 19.66 |
| Suriname | 20 | 2.27 |
| Other | 39 | 4.43 |
| Education | ||
| Less than primary | 78 | 8.85 |
| Completed primary | 270 | 30.65 |
| Completed secondary | 533 | 60.50 |
| Activity | ||
| Student | 94 | 10.67 |
| Active | 505 | 57.32 |
| Inactive | 282 | 32.01 |
| Family monthly income | ||
| <EUR 534 | 73 | 8.29 |
| EUR 534 to 840 | 54 | 6.13 |
| EUR 841 to 1300 | 88 | 9.99 |
| EUR 1301 to 2520 | 202 | 22.93 |
| EUR 2521 to 6410 | 189 | 21.45 |
| >EUR 6410 | 29 | 3.29 |
| No answer | 246 | 27.92 |
| Marital status | ||
| Single | 402 | 45.63 |
| Separated, divorced | 56 | 6.36 |
| Widowed | 30 | 3.41 |
| Married or in a couple | 376 | 42.68 |
| No answer | 17 | 1.93 |
| Age group [years] | ||
| ≤25 | 177 | 20.09 |
| [26–35] | 199 | 22.59 |
| [36–45] | 157 | 17.82 |
| [46–55] | 146 | 16.57 |
| [56–65] | 128 | 14.53 |
| >65 | 74 | 8.40 |
* category name in bold
Table 2.
Prevalence rates for current and recurrent depression for different subcategories.
| Category * | Current Depression n (%) | Recurrent Depression n (%) | p |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sex | 0.22 | ||
| Female | 89 (19.2%) | 48 (10.3%) | |
| Male | 62 (14.9%) | 22 (5.3%) | |
| Age (years) | 0.92 | ||
| 25–34 | 42 (22.5%) | 21 (11.2%) | |
| 35–44 | 26 (15.8%) | 13 (7.9%) | |
| 45–54 | 12 (8.1%) | 4 (2.7%) | |
| 55–64 | 15 (11.9%) | 7 (5.6%) | |
| ≥65 | 6 (6.7%) | 1 (1.1%) | |
| Household income (EUR) | 0.68 | ||
| <534 | 27 (37.0%) | 11 (15.1%) | |
| 534 to 840 | 10 (18.5%) | 4 (7.4%) | |
| 840 to 1300 | 14 (15.9%) | 9 (10.2%) | |
| 1300 to 2520 | 31 (15.3%) | 18 (8.9%) | |
| 2520 to 6410 | 18 (9.5%) | 11 (5.8%) | |
| >6410 | 5 (17.2%) | 3 (10.3%) | |
| Does not wish to answer | 46 (18.7%) | 14 (5.7%) | |
| Education | 0.38 | ||
| Not reported | 46 (18.7%) | 14 (5.7%) | |
| Primary (incomplete) | 9 (18.8%) | 6 (12.5%) | |
| Primary (complete) | 7 (14.3%) | 1 (2.0%) | |
| Secondary (incomplete) | 40 (18.1%) | 18 (8.1%) | |
| Secondary (complete) | 53 (20.2%) | 22 (8.4%) | |
| Tertiary/university or equivalent | 35 (13.0%) | 22 (8.1%) | |
| No schooling | 7 (23.3%) | 1 (3.3%) | |
| Origin | 0.84 | ||
| French Guiana | 67 (17.5%) | 32 (8.4%) | |
| Mainland France | 17 (12.2%) | 8 (5.8%) | |
| French Antilles | 4 (6.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | |
| Brazil | 6 (12.0%) | 4 (8.0%) | |
| Haiti | 45 (26.0%) | 19 (11.0%) | |
| Suriname | 1 (5.0%) | 1 (5.0%) | |
| Guyana | 4 (26.7%) | 1 (6.7%) | |
| Other | 7 (17.9%) | 5 (12.8%) | |
| Marital status | 0.40 | ||
| Single | 92 (22.9%) | 42 (10.4%) | |
| Married/partnered | 45 (12.0%) | 23 (6.1%) | |
| Separated/divorced | 11 (19.6%) | 3 (5.4%) | |
| Widowed | 2 (6.7%) | 2 (6.7%) | |
| Situation | 0.06 | ||
| Other inactive | 8 (29.6%) | 3 (11.1%) | |
| Unemployed | 23 (22.3%) | 7 (6.8%) | |
| Homemaker | 9 (26.5%) | 4 (11.8%) | |
| Employed | 69 (13.7%) | 37 (7.3%) | |
| Retired | 7 (7.4%) | 2 (2.1%) | |
| Student | 32 (34.0%) | 17 (18.1%) |
* category name in bold
Table 3.
Adjusted prevalence ratios for prevalence of a current depressive episode.
| Outcome = Current Depressive Episode * | Adjusted Prevalence Ratio | 95% Confidence Interval | p | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | ||||
| <25 | 4.44 | 1.59 | 12.33 | 0.004 |
| 25–34 | 3.31 | 1.21 | 9.01 | 0.019 |
| 35–44 | 1.75 | 0.61 | 5.03 | 0.294 |
| 45–54 | 1.35 | 0.45 | 4.00 | 0.587 |
| 55–64 | 1.67 | 0.58 | 4.77 | 0.335 |
| >64 | 1 | |||
| Sex | ||||
| Female/male | 1.23 | 0.88 | 1.71 | 0.216 |
| Activity | ||||
| Active | 1 | |||
| Inactive | 0.84 | 0.52 | 1.36 | 0.497 |
| Student | 1.21 | 0.69 | 2.11 | 0.500 |
| Country of origin | ||||
| Mainland France | 1 | |||
| French Guiana | 1.05 | 0.60 | 1.82 | 0.855 |
| French Antilles | 0.51 | 0.16 | 1.54 | 0.234 |
| Guyana | 1.63 | 0.53 | 5.01 | 0.390 |
| Haiti | 1.22 | 0.66 | 2.25 | 0.523 |
| Brazil | 0.64 | 0.24 | 1.67 | 0.368 |
| Suriname | 0.23 | 0.03 | 1.77 | 0.159 |
| Other | 1.09 | 0.44 | 2.69 | 0.839 |
| Education | ||||
| Primary not completed | 1.90 | 1.01 | 3.54 | 0.043 |
| Secondary not completed | 1.40 | 0.95 | 2.07 | 0.083 |
| Higher education | 1 | |||
| Household income (EUR) | ||||
| <840 | 2.02 | 1.07 | 3.80 | 0.028 |
| 840–2520 | 1.24 | 0.73 | 2.11 | 0.418 |
| >2520 | 1 | |||
| No response | 1.28 | 0.73 | 2.24 | 0.383 |
| Marital situation | ||||
| Married or couple | 1 | |||
| Single | 1.17 | 0.79 | 1.73 | 0.424 |
| Separated, divorced | 2.25 | 1.13 | 4.50 | 0.021 |
| Widowed | 0.59 | 0.13 | 2.58 | 0.487 |
| No answer | 0.36 | 0.04 | 2.65 | 0.318 |
| _cons | 0.03 | 0.01 | 0.10 | 0.000 |
* category name in bold.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Nacher, M.; van Melle, A.; Thomas, E.; Pavie, J.; Solignat, B.; Benradia, I.; Sebbane, D.; Roelandt, J.L.; Janvier, C.; Lair, F.; et al. Mental Health Inequalities: Prevalence of Depression and Health-Seeking Behaviors in the General Population of French Guiana. Psychiatry Int. 2026, 7, 228. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7050228
AMA Style
Nacher M, van Melle A, Thomas E, Pavie J, Solignat B, Benradia I, Sebbane D, Roelandt JL, Janvier C, Lair F, et al. Mental Health Inequalities: Prevalence of Depression and Health-Seeking Behaviors in the General Population of French Guiana. Psychiatry International. 2026; 7(5):228. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7050228
Chicago/Turabian StyleNacher, Mathieu, Astrid van Melle, Estelle Thomas, Johanna Pavie, Blandine Solignat, Imane Benradia, Deborah Sebbane, Jean Luc Roelandt, Caroline Janvier, Francois Lair, and et al. 2026. "Mental Health Inequalities: Prevalence of Depression and Health-Seeking Behaviors in the General Population of French Guiana" Psychiatry International 7, no. 5: 228. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7050228
APA StyleNacher, M., van Melle, A., Thomas, E., Pavie, J., Solignat, B., Benradia, I., Sebbane, D., Roelandt, J. L., Janvier, C., Lair, F., & Bobillier, V. (2026). Mental Health Inequalities: Prevalence of Depression and Health-Seeking Behaviors in the General Population of French Guiana. Psychiatry International, 7(5), 228. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7050228
