Prime Minister Michel Barnier announced this Thursday his desire to “double within three years” the number of adolescent centers in Franceduring a trip on the theme of mental health to Poitiers and Vouillé in Vienne. Today there are 125 such structures in the country. They are responsible for informing and supporting young people and their families on health issues, particularly mental health.
“Destigmatize mental illnesses”
During his general policy speech on October 1 to the National Assembly, Michel Barnier indicated that he wanted to do mental health, “the great national cause of the year 2025”. This Thursday, he promised “same order of ambition” than for major past causes on disability or cancer.
“One of the objectives of this policy is to destigmatize the vision we have on mental health, we need to talk about it, not hide things, explained Michel Barnier. We will preserve resources for mental health even if the budget can be improved.” assured the Prime Minister. He asked the minister in charge of interministerial coordination to ensure “that all ministries make mental health their business”, mentioning in particular education, housing and even sport. He also mentioned future “awareness campaigns”.
The issue of “prevention” and “identification”
The Prime Minister insisted on the issue of “prevention” and “identification”. He thus announced a generalization of training in prevention and first aid in mental health.
With a view to “strengthen first-line care”Michel Barnier wishes “develop, in conjunction with healthcare access services, psychiatry sectors to better guide patients and support them in their care”which supposes “the commitment of liberal psychiatrists from the sector and associations”.
“Foster the mobilization of local stakeholders”
Facing the press this Thursday in Vouillé, the Prime Minister also displayed his desire to generalize “territorial coordination tools, such as local mental health contracts, which make it possible to organize pathways and encourage the mobilization of local actors”.
Michel Barnier has called, on several occasions, for “decompartmentalization” and a “joint work”, “networked”“at the service of the population”. He had previously visited the Henri-Laborit hospital center in Poitiers, a public reference establishment in psychiatry and mental health in Vienne, and met the teams of the “Picta’Bus” and “En car Psymone” systems, which are working to reach the meeting young people and the general public in rural areas in Poitou to provide information on mental health. “What struck me here was the ability to work together on a territorial scale and create decompartmentalization to serve the population“, highlighted the head of government by listing the different actors met during his morning in Vienne: doctors, caregivers, families, local elected officials, associations, volunteers…
“Intensify” the research effort
This Thursday, from the Poitevin commune of Vouillé, the Prime Minister also said he wanted “intensifier” mental health research effort. Michel Barnier notably announced the launch ofa call for projects, with a budget of 10 million euros as part of the France 2030 plan. The objective is to “bringing innovative digital health technologies such as remote home monitoring or connected equipment”.
On October 1 at the National Assembly, Michel Barnier indicated to the deputies that “mental health problems affect one in five French people, and particularly young people”. He then recalled that “psychological illnesses are the largest item of health insurance expenditure.”
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