French Government Reforms Psychiatry Training and Mental Health Initiatives
France announces significant reforms to enhance psychiatry training and mental health services.
Key Points
- • Abolition of the numerus apertus to increase medical student capacity.
- • Plans to raise psychiatry interns from 500 to 600 by 2027.
- • All medical and paramedical students will perform psychiatry internships.
- • Goal to train 300,000 individuals in mental health first aid.
In a major healthcare reform initiative, French Health Minister Yannick Neuder announced on June 12, 2025, plans aimed at boosting the number of psychiatry interns and enhancing mental health care services in France. The reforms include the abolition of the numerus apertus system, which currently restricts the number of medical students advancing to the second year based on institutional capacity. This change, effective from June 17, aims to address the pressing need for more medical professionals in psychiatry amidst rising mental health issues, particularly among youth.
The government has set a target to increase the annual intake of psychiatry interns from 500 to 600 starting in 2027. Neuder emphasized that every medical and paramedical student should have the opportunity to undertake a psychiatry internship, a move designed to foster greater familiarity with mental health care from the outset of their training. Furthermore, he stated, "La psychiatrie ne doit plus être le parent pauvre de l'hôpital," reaffirming the necessity to uplift psychiatry to a more prominent position within hospital care.
Additional measures include a plan to train 300,000 individuals in mental health first aid, a significant increase from the current 165,000. Neuder acknowledged that while funding for mental health initiatives exists, it is often insufficient to meet the growing needs of the population. This comprehensive approach reflects the government's commitment to improving mental health care infrastructures and support systems across France.