Introduction – In France and around the world, mental health disorders have risen sharply over the past decade, with a marked increase in anxiety and depression. In this context, investigating help-seeking behaviors in mental health appears to be a crucial issue for promoting early intervention. The objective of this study is to identify the main factors associated with discussing one’s distress or psychological difficulties (D-PD), in light of the types of people sought out for support.Method – The data analyzed are drawn from waves 34 to 37 of the CoviPrev survey (May 2022–September 2023), conducted using a quota sampling method with participants recruited from an Access panel. A total of 8,010 individuals were surveyed across all four survey waves, of whom 2,919 reported experiencing ME-DP during the year preceding their survey response. Bivariate analyses were first conducted on whether respondents had discussed their ME-DP, distinguishing between the types of people they spoke to. Factors associated with having discussed the topic were finally identified using a Poisson regression model with robust variance. Results – In our subsample of individuals who had experienced an ME-DP in the past 12 months, approximately one in two reported having discussed it with someone. A significant interaction between gender and age was observed: young men (aged 18–24) reported discussing their ME-DP as often as young women, tending to use alternative communication channels (helplines, social media, support groups, etc.). Conversely, men over the age of 65 were the least likely to report having discussed it. In addition to gender and age, the main associated factors were chronic health problems, perceiving oneself to be in poor health, living alone, or having had suicidal thoughts in the past 12 months. Conversely, living in a rural area and experiencing depression were associated with a lower likelihood of having discussed one’s mental health issues.Conclusion – A high proportion of people experiencing psychological distress or difficulties report not discussing it with anyone, neither with their social circle nor with healthcare professionals. These results underscore the importance of implementing initiatives to facilitate open discussion about psychological distress and reduce stigma, with particular attention given to those least likely to speak about it.