Student discomfort has become particularly visible during this period of the Covid-19 epidemic.

Initiatives are being put in place to help them and in particular offer them the opportunity to talk about their suffering.

However, psychological aid services for students were already overloaded before the crisis, explains to the microphone of Europe 1 the head of a listening platform. 

INTERVIEW

With the Covid-19 health crisis, most students are deprived of face-to-face lessons and odd jobs.

They have had to deal with isolation and increased insecurity in recent months.

Associations warn about their psychological health.

Guest of Europe 1 on Sunday, Patrick Skehan, general delegate of Nightline France which offers a helpline for students, affirmed that this problem was neglected even before the outbreak of the pandemic: "It existed before and that will continue to exist afterwards. "

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"We talk a lot about the student mental health crisis now, but it is because the health crisis has made it visible", continues Patrick Skehan.

He explains that the Nightline platform, based in Saclay, south of Paris, was launched four years ago and that it has already recorded a significant increase in calls from students.

Professionals "completely deprived"

In the context of the coronavirus epidemic, this listening platform for people in distress is necessary and provides them with invaluable help.

However, its general delegate is worried about finding relays among professionals: "What do we do with students who need more than listening", he asks.

"Often we need to direct students to professional services because they need it, except that these professional services in France are extremely underfunded."

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Patrick Skehan argues that in France there would be only one psychologist for 30,000 students when international recommendations advise having a psychologist for 1,500 students.

"The health crisis arrives, the students take a slap in the face and these services which were already overwhelmed before find themselves completely helpless in the face of the wave of students who arrive to consult," he summarizes.