PRISMES: Precarity Impact on Mental Health of Health Students (NCT07539207)

← ClinicalTrials.gov Studies

Precarity and Reduction of Its Impact on the Mental Health of Health Students

N/A NCT07539207 Kind: NA Apr 20, 2026

Abstract

Student financial insecurity has become a major public health and societal issue affecting a growing proportion of young adults in higher education, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently by inflation. Health students may be particularly exposed because of the demanding and lengthy nature of their training, often combined with limited opportunities for paid work due to hospital placements and academic workload. A national study conducted in 2024 by our team at Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale U1073 under the supervision of the Conférence Nationale des Doyens de Médecine among more than 12,000 health students showed that 12% experienced severe financial insecurity, characterized by insufficient monthly resources, recurrent bank overdrafts, and frequent food deprivation, while 20% reported moderate insecurity. Financial insecurity was strongly associated with anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion, while vulnerable students were also more likely to forgo healthcare, including psychological consultations, for financial reasons. This vicious circle between financial hardship and mental health may compromise academic success and justifies targeted intervention.

Although support systems such as Santé Psy Étudiant and free psychological consultations at the faculty already exist, they remain underused because of stigma, insufficient information, or perceived barriers to access. The PRISMES project proposes a participatory, adaptive...

Conditions: Mental Health (Depression), Mental Health, Quality of Lifte

Interventions: Targeted Mental Health and Well-being Support for Financially Vulnerable Health Student

View original document →