Faced with the rise in psychological discomfort, simple, concrete and caring tools will soon be accessible to children, families and the adults around them – to listen, prevent, identify, support.
A growing concern among young people
In the field of mental health, the signals are accumulating. According to official sources, one in two French people declares having been in psychological distress during the last twelve months. Moreover, 53% of French people say they have suffered psychologically over the same period, according to an Ifop survey.
But it is children who inspire the greatest vigilance. The national Enabee study (2022) — led by Public Health France in partnership with National Education — examined the psychological well-being of children between 3 and 11 years old, via the perceptions of the child himself, his parents and his teachers.
- Among 6-11 year olds, almost 13% of the 15,000 children surveyed presented a “probable disorder” (emotional, oppositional, or attention/hyperactivity disorder);
- Among 3-6 year olds, 8.3% of the 2,600 children included in the survey presented at least one probable difficulty with a daily functional impact.
These figures reflect a reality: early childhood and childhood are critical windows in which to detect discomfort, to intervene early and gently. In this context, the State has placed mental health at the heart of its priorities for 2025.
But how can you talk about mental disorders, stress, anxiety or sadness with a child without scaring them or making them feel guilty? This is where the new system comes in – and its commitment to benevolent sincerity.
A familiar universe to talk about a sensitive subject
It is difficult to discuss mental suffering with a child or adolescent — the risk is to create discomfort, incomprehension, or silence. The challenge of the “Let’s Talk Mental Health” system is to rely on an already familiar language, a shared imagination: the world of Vice Versa.
The characters embody our emotions: joy, sadness, anger, fear, disgust (and sometimes anxiety). By making them tangible, they become mediators to express what cannot be seen. The system offers educational booklets that cover this universe, intended for children, parents, teachers, educators — in schools, online, in educational structures.
On this subject, Hélène Etzi, President of The Walt Disney Company France recalls:
“Disney’s mission is to entertain and inspire. By partnering with the State with Vice-Versa, we are putting the power of our stories at the service of the general interest, to de-dramatize mental health issues and move from emotion to action.”.
The idea is subtle: use emotion to free dialogue, and not through anxiety-provoking communication. The government text completes:
“Mental health is a collective issue that affects every citizen, every family. … By joining forces with The Walt Disney Company France and the familiar cultural universe of Vice-Versa, we are choosing an accessible and unifying language, capable of speaking to children as well as their parents.” declares Michaël Nathan, Director of the Government Information Service (SIG)
For children, it allows them to name what they feel — and for parents or teachers to recognize the invisible. The tone is benevolent, non-stigmatizing.
But the universe alone is not enough. We need concrete supports, resources, local relays.
Concrete tools, support relays: towards complete support
The government system is not only symbolic: it offers tools that can be used immediately, and is part of an existing network of care and support.
Tools offered
- Educational booklets (children, parents, educators) distributed in schools, after-school settings, hospitals, medical practices, and available in digital format on the santementale.gouv.fr website. These booklets complement the already existing “Empathy Kit” for teachers.
- National awareness campaign : a video spot (launched on October 10) and an urban poster campaign.
- These actions will be deployed with the support of partners such as the French Hospital Federation, the Mental Health Alliance, Doctolib, Webedia Care, UGC, JCDecaux.
Proximity relays and existing devices
The Info.gouv article highlights several structures or systems to turn to if necessary:
- CAMSP (Early Medical-Social Action Centers)
- CMPP (Medico-Psycho-Educational Centers)
- CMP (Medico-Psychological Centers)
- My psychological support : via Health Insurance, any person (adult or child over 3 years old) feeling psychological discomfort can benefit from covered psychological support sessions.
- Specialized associations, helplines and discussion spaces for parents are also mentioned as valuable support.
In this network, the new device acts as a priming lever – a trigger to speak – which allows those who doubt or hesitate to take a first step towards listening or support.
For Angèle Malâtre-Lansac, general delegate of the Mental Health Alliance, this dimension is crucial:
“Acting early means giving every chance of preserving mental health and encouraging people to talk about the subject from a very young age.”.
Despite this new mobilization, child psychiatry, like adult psychiatry, has suffered for years from a lack of financial and human resources. Too few places, too few specialized professionals, long waiting times, saturated centers. For this system to go beyond the simple announcement effect, budgets commensurate with the challenges, constant investments, and sustained political and public will will be required. Because preventing early, listening without stigmatization, acting with compassion, these are all promises that can only be kept if society as a whole gives itself the means to keep them.