Are people who vote on the left more likely to develop depression? This is one of the questions asked by Pierre Bordaberry, doctor of psychology, psychologist and psychotherapist, in his book It’s not you the problem *, which has just been released by Editions Leduc.
Several studies ** carried out in the United States and England have shown that the proportion of depression among people voting on the left was higher than among those on the right. “It’s a correlation so we don’t know if depression is the cause or the effect of the vote,” comments the psychologist. If the reasons are not completely clear, the psychologist puts forward several avenues.
More aware of inequalities
First hypothesis: people on the left would fall more easily into depression. A possibility which does not seem incongruous in the eyes of the sympathizers we interviewed. Dan, a Parisian anti-racist activist, admits to being “strongly morally impacted by current events, the state of the world, its inequalities. »
Emma ***, 26, a left-wing activist close to environmentalists, says she is constantly torn between two paradoxical states. She sometimes feels this depressive state because she has “the impression that precariousness will continue to increase, that social struggles are in vain, that environmental inaction does not bode well”. On the other hand, during periods of “lull”, she is delighted to “see society increasingly inclusive and all political parties talking about the environment. » Julien ***, 31, who campaigned for a long time in the Socialist Party, also nuanced: “This arouses in me disappointment, resignation or a feeling of revolt rather than depression. »
For Pierre Bordaberry, there are several possible explanations for this trend. “People on the left are generally better informed about social inequalities, which could have an impact on their morale. » A hypothesis in which the anti-racist activist finds himself. “Social justice is at the heart of our concerns, which can lead us to be more sensitive to the misfortunes of people and the world. When we campaign for equality, we are probably more aware of inequalities…” The former activist of the young socialists plussoie. “In my opinion, people on the left have a higher level of empathy and awareness of the realities of the social world. »
“It would be simpler to be very individualistic”
The solution to making the world a better place can also generate, in the long run, a depressive state. “I sometimes have the impression that nothing is going well, that it is a waste of time to fight and that it would be simpler to be very individualistic and not give a damn about the fate of others,” we says Camille, 26 years old, activist in a left-wing political party.
“Faced with society’s problems, people on the right will consider individual solutions, unlike those on the left,” continues the doctor of psychology. It’s the “if you want, you can” theory. This protects against depression because we feel like we have control over our lives. Conversely, left-wing sympathizers note that society’s problems go beyond the individual level and feel overwhelmed by events. » An idea that David, 31, who campaigned for Les Républicains for a long time before supporting Eric Zemmour in 2022, refutes. “People on the left advocate individualist values for certain minorities while we, on the contrary, are more concerned with creating a common destiny within our country. »
Change things individually
“I feel psychological pressure by not having impeccable behavior when it comes to environmental issues,” confides Emma. In my opinion, these are feelings that people with a right-wing political sensibility do not have, since they comfort themselves in the established order which does not require personal involvement. »
What does Lucas, 25, who works for Les Républicains, say to him? “On the ecological question, a whole part of the left considers that it is almost too late and I understand that this depresses them. We believe that we can change things individually. We often have the image of people on the right who want to keep the established order, but that is false. Unlike the left, we want to change it starting from what already exists because we consider that to change things, you need a kind of realism. »
“More able to see the problems of society”
Now here is the second hypothesis put forward by the doctor of psychology: people suffering from depression would vote more to the left. “If we encounter problems in our lives, we are more apt to see the problems in society. We are then more inclined to say to ourselves that we must change it and therefore to turn to the left. »
“This reasoning seems perilous to me,” says Maxime, 33, who has been with EELV for ten years. Camille is also circumspect. “I would be tempted to think that suffering from depression leads to a sort of apathy, to the feeling that we have no control over society and that voting left will change nothing. Voting to the left already means saying to yourself that we can change things, that we have a hold, however small, on the world. » Because “there are also activists who are on the streets every weekend and who seem to be motivated by an optimism that is desirable,” recalls Emma.
Ideas to take with a pinch of salt
Pierre Bordaberry calls in any case to take his leads with a pinch of salt. “There is a correlation but the explanations remain, in the absence of additional studies, simple hypotheses. » So don’t worry, it’s not because you vote left that you will necessarily fall into depression. We remind you that this pathology, which will affect one in five French people during their lifetime according to Inserm, results from a complex interaction of psychological, social and biological factors.
For his part, Dan continues to hope for a world governed by the left in which ideas and programs would be applied concretely, with a real redistribution of wealth. “Perhaps if we lived in that world, people on the right would be more prone to depression than people on the left,” he quips.