Nightline France

Our Mission

1. Contextual elements The actions deployed by Nightline address issues relating to students' mental health, not only in terms of psychological well-being, but also academic success and, ultimately, socio-professional integration.

> French students, a population known to be at risk in terms of mental health - 1 in 5 students in France is at risk of psychological fragility ; - in 2021, 36.6% of students reported depressive symptoms, compared with 20.1% of the general population - outside the context of the health crisis, analyses show that students are already a particularly vulnerable population when it comes to mental health problems: even before the health crisis began, 22% of students in France had suicidal thoughts, and 6% of these had already attempted suicide ; - In France, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people aged 15-25; - in 2022, emergency room visits for suicidal gestures, suicidal ideation and mood disorders increase among 18-24 year-olds, compared with the already high levels observed in early 2021 ; - 62% of 18-24 year-olds say they have had suicidal thoughts since September 2021, compared with 34% of the total population

> Mental health and academic results The links between mental health and academic results are proven: for students, an untreated psychiatric disorder can indeed lead to a significant drop in academic results and increase the risk of dropping out of school, as well as difficulties with long-term social integration, such as obtaining or maintaining employment. The results of the Observatoire de la Vie Etudiante (OVE) health survey in 2016 indicate that students presenting a depressive episode or having had suicidal ideations had to stop working or studying for almost two months (on average) because of their symptoms, and their chance of passing exams is reduced by at least 16%. Early intervention and follow-up strategies to deal with psychological issues in the university environment enable direct prevention that benefits students' mental health, as well as making a significant contribution to their academic success.

> Enabling young people to realize their potential, and promote the professional integration of young graduates The WHO's definition of mental health includes the world of work, employability and individual productivity, and indicates that depression has been the second leading cause of illness and work stoppages since 2020; the OECD, for its part, points out that people suffering from mild to moderate mental health problems - such as anxiety or depression - are twice as likely to be unemployed. In addition, mental health problems in the workplace (stress, burnout, psychosocial risks (PSR), psychological disorders, mental health disability) have become one of the main causes of absenteeism from work: more and more employees under the age of 30 say they are stressed at work, or exhausted (52% in 2022, compared with 47% and 43% respectively in 2018), and more and more are taking sleeping pills or antidepressants (22% in 2022, compared with 9% in 2014).

2. Nightline's mission: to promote and support student mental health and engagement > The creation of Nightline It was during his university exchange year in Paris in 2016 - after noting the absence in France of mental health support systems focused on primary prevention - that an Irish student (himself a volunteer with Niteline Dublin) wanted to respond to this lack, and import the "nightline" concept to France: a free, anonymous, confidential helpline staffed by trained student-volunteers), which originated in the English-speaking world in the 1970s and is now present in many European countries (as well as Canada). Thus was born Nightline France, an association dedicated to supporting student mental health in France, for students and by students. France is under-resourced in terms of psychological support for students: today, there is 1 psychologist for every 15,000 students in the University Health Services (SSE), whereas international recommendations state that there should be 1 for every 1,500. The SSEs, the Centre Medico-Psychologiques and the University Psychological Aid Offices are thus largely saturated, requiring weeks or months of waiting before a young person can meet a professional. At the same time, students feel they have no access to existing resources (lack of knowledge, saturation of services, etc.), and are distrustful of mental health issues (even one year after the introduction of psychology vouchers for students, only 0.70% of psychologically fragile students had used them). What's more, approaches to health care are still conceived on a thematic basis (addictions, sexist and sexual violence, etc.) rather than on a population basis. However, the way in which we address students (and therefore the "young public") needs to be specific (we don't address "young people" in the same way as we are used to addressing the general public), while at the same time refining the "young" category, still considered in a very general way, as a single, homogeneous entity.

> Peer support and community health In this sense, Nightline's actions are based on two innovative concepts in France, which postulate the interest of doing things with the beneficiaries, and not just for them: peer support and community health. Community health is the process whereby individuals and families (on the one hand) take charge of their own health and well-being as well as that of the community, and (on the other) develop their capacity to contribute to their own development as well as that of the community. This process therefore includes representatives of the target audience - in this case students - in the identification of priorities and their implementation. This makes it possible to : be as close as possible to the mental health needs of the target community ; support the empowerment of individuals and the community (through a participatory dynamic); encourage empowerment (the process of strengthening the ability to act autonomously and gain greater control over one's life); complement prevention approaches focused on the individual and on the treatment of mental disorders; bypass the limitations of traditional prevention initiatives for students (mistrust, feeling stigmatized, need for peers); benefit the whole community (peers helped and peer helpers, through the development of their listening, empathy and support skills).

Given the credibility conferred on volunteers by the fact that they have lived through an experience similar to that of the person seeking help, and the existence of a real taboo associated with going to see a psychologist, peer support also has many advantages, and can be both a gateway (or an intermediate step, a springboard) to care for those who might need it but are reluctant to ask. The diversity of mental health needs calls for a range of resources and interventions to meet them: not all students need to consult a psychologist, so peer support programs are positioned to provide accompaniment, support and, if necessary, a springboard to care via referral. Peer support thus has benefits for the people it supports ... : peer-help programs help to combat the stigmatization of mental disorders and mental health, in particular by creating a space for open dialogue where people can talk without taboo or fear of being judged ; as a form of support based on a two-person relationship, peer support also strengthens social cohesion within the university community ; because of its central position in student life, peer support helps to anchor the notion of well-being in everyday life, clarify the available care options, and potentially reduce the risk factors that lead people to seek medical attention ; peer support programs also reduce recourse to the traditional health care system and more costly care - such as psychological consultations and hospitalization - resulting in significant savings: the Mental Health Commission of Canada refers to "millions of dollars" saved thanks to peer support.

... and for the supported peers themselves: the literature also points to numerous psychological and social benefits for those who help (at Nightline, we're talking about student volunteers) ; providing help to others increases volunteers' confidence, sense of self-efficacy and well-being volunteer activities also help improve interpersonal and communication skills, such as empathy and acceptance - often thanks to the principles of active listening, non-directiveness and non-judgment advocated by many initiatives by empowering students to take action for their own health and that of their peers, peer support reinforces the sense of self-determination and self-esteem of both volunteers and those supported.