Children psychologically affected by the coronavirus epidemic will be able to be taken care of free of charge. This package includes ten sessions and it is ” operational ” since Wednesday June 16 according to the Ministry of Health.

Adults, adolescents, children … While some have been spared the Covid-19 virus, others have psychological consequences. Announced in mid-April by the President of the Republic during a trip to a psychiatric hospital in Reims, the “Psy package” responds to a public health issue. Since during his visit, Emmanuel Macron had mentioned a significant increase of 40% in the use of pediatric emergencies for psychological disorders since the beginning of the health crisis. Asked about this by LCI, Catherine Zitoun, child psychiatrist and head of department at the Paris University Hospital Group for psychiatry & neurosciences, explains that the health crisis “ acts in several ways on children. While anxiety is more present in homes (parents are afraid of losing their job, financial difficulties…), children “are real sponges who will absorb everything that will be experienced by those around them (…) the sources of tension are reflected on them ”.

To benefit from this package, it is necessary to obtain a prescription from a referring doctor (pediatrician, general practitioner / school / hospital or maternal and child protection). Parents will then need to make an appointment with a participating psychologist. A directory has been made available at the following address: PsyEnfantAdo.sante.gouv.fr.

However, some psychologists believe this package to be a smokescreen. The device was due to start two weeks ago, due to a lack of volunteers at the end of May. Many psychologists boycott this package, the sessions last only 30 minutes, where a real consultation lasts between 45 minutes and 1 hour. Psychologists also denounce the low remuneration provided by the government, namely 22 euros per session, well below the average salaries which psychologists can claim.