Saturday December 6, Hinaupoko Devèze, Miss Tahiti, barely 20 years old, won the coveted title of Miss France. But behind the glitter and prestige, the young woman took advantage of this notoriety to discuss a problem that is particularly close to her heart: mental health.
An unexpected speech from the first hours of his reign
Just before her coronation, Hinaupoko Devèze shared her faults and her journey during interviews about her life. And far from aligning themes like her projects or world peace, the young woman returned to a dark episode. A burn-out during her law studies, carried out in France, which led her to consult a psychologist to cope.
“At first, I was afraid to announce my burnout”she admits. This is particularly due to the injunctions surrounding young women. “We embody this model which encourages us not to show our faults” she reproaches. Since then, passionate about psychology, which she dreams of making her career, the Miss says it loud and clear today:“If you want to unwind this subject, you have to tell your story“It’s done.
Yes, burnout during studies is possible
If Miss France’s words are important, it is because many shadows still surround psychological exhaustion. Indeed, we often associate burnout with the professional world. However, exhaustion can occur well before entering working life. This is what Pascal Anger, clinical psychologist, points out.
According to him, burnout is not just a question of work:
“Anything that puts us under pressure, in a situation of having to succeed, can lead to burnout. Studies are totally part of this. And often, we don’t realize it, because we move forward in the spiral without ever stopping.”
Among students, pressure takes many forms: competitions, tests, long revision periods, performance anxiety, fear of failing, the impression of gambling on one’s future over a few months.
Little by little, silently, the balance begins to crack.
Pascal Anger explains that exhaustion develops gradually, intensifying fatigue that is initially completely trivialized:
“It’s a psychological exhaustion that sets in without warning. We don’t see it coming. And sometimes, it’s when everything stops – after an exam, an internship, a year of study – that the collapse occurs.”
How to recognize burnout? Discreet signs… but serious
The psychologist insists: spotting burnout is never easy. The symptoms are multiple, often confused with ordinary stress:
- A persistent feeling of failure or dissatisfaction;
- Difficulty concentrating;
- Insomnia, migraines, back pain;
- Diffuse, sometimes overwhelming anxiety;
- Unusual irritability;
- Behaviors that change without explanation.
For Pascal Anger, everything is based on a central element: the context.
“Burn-out often appears in environments where it is impossible to recharge your batteries. This is true for employees, but also for young people who are in constant competition.”
And in the case of a future Miss France, the pressures are particular: performance requirements, constant attention to physical appearance, sometimes unfair competition, intense preparation… all factors which are psychologically tiring.
A Miss France who humanizes the function by assuming its fragility
What is striking in her speech is the contrast: a beauty queen, a figure often associated with perfection, who dares to say that she has experienced a fall, exhaustion, loss of control. A rare word, almost revolutionary in a universe where everything is under control.
For the psychologist, this transparency promises to be valuable:
“It’s important that a woman who wears such an image reminds us that she is not just a showcase. She is made of flesh, bones, strengths but also weaknesses. This humanizes her, and it shows that burnout spares no one.”
By telling her story, Miss France allows many young people to identify: yes, we can succeed after burnout. Yes, we can collapse even when we seem strong. And yes, you can do poorly during studies without being “weak”.
Hinaupoko Devèze embodies the experience of a generation which is finally talking about mental health, a generation which no longer wants to hide what causes suffering. Burnout is not an admission of failure. It is a warning signal, a call to slow down, to rethink our rhythms and our demands. And that it is worn by a Miss France, a figure often perceived as a symbol of strength and control… only has more weight.