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A free therapy session each month for all French people starting in 2025!

undefined undefined 15 décembre 2024 undefined 12h00

The Editor

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This is a significant step forward for mental health care in France: everyone will soon be able to enjoy a free therapy session without a prescription each month. This measure, which allows for better access to psychological care, will take effect starting January 2025. 

On October 11th, the outgoing government declared mental health a national priority for 2025. A little revolution is underway in the sector, and this measure might just be the most striking illustration of it: starting January 1, 2025, every month, all French people will be offered a free therapy session without a prescription. This initiative is part of the program « My Psychological Support », launched in 2022 and expanded in June 2024. 


The Alarming State of Mental Health in France 

The proper care of the mental health of the French population is a societal issue: according to data from WHO, one in five French people is affected by mental illness and psychological disorders, which amounts to 13 million individuals. The latest study by Public Health France, published in 2023, indicates that the mental well-being of the population continues to decline, especially among young people aged 18-24: approximately 20.8% are reported to be affected by depression, compared to 11.7% in 2017. 

This same age group seems to take less care of their mental health compared to those aged 65 and older: 42% feel held back by the cost of consulting a psychiatrist, psychologist, or psychotherapist. In this context of unequal access to care, the program  My Psy Support  initiated by the Castex government is essential. 


8 to 12 free sessions per year 

Launched in 2022, this initiative initially offered psychological support through eight free sessions - covered by Health Insurance - with a certified psychologist, but only with a medical prescription. In June 2024, the government has stepped up and decided to broaden the process starting next year. 

The number of covered sessions, aimed at « anyone aged over three years, experiencing mild to moderate psychological issues », will reach 12 per year, without systematic prescriptions. Health Insurance does not cover all the sessions: it will reimburse 60% of the costs. 

ucirc;t, and most mutual insurance companies provide additional support.


The feared surge in requests 

This development has been welcomed by health professionals, although there are still concerns about the resources allocated to meet the rising demand. The wait times for appointments with psychologists (who must be conventioned with Health Insurance) are already an issue, and they might get even longer with the influx of new requests. 

« Just because a psychologist is conventioned doesn’t mean they will devote all their time to “My Psy Support.” Generally, they allocate a time slot each week for it», explained Benoît Schneider, a member of the monitoring committee for the program, during an interview with Le Figaro.garo. There might also be a shortage of psychologists in small towns: « A good number of private psychologists are mainly located in big cities. There is a real psychological desert in small towns and rural areas », he points out. In practice, the system has several challenges, but it has already benefited 381,000 patients, mostly women (70%) and young people (49% of patients are under 35 years old).