A challenge for public health and social cohesion
Psychiatric illness affects almost 13 million French people, reduces life expectancy by 15 to 20 years, and is one of the leading causes of disability. They have a considerable impact on the quality of life of patients and their families, and entail an economic and social cost of €160 billion a year.
Despite this fact, funding for psychiatric research in France represents only 2-4% of the biomedical research budget, one of the lowest in Europe. What’s more, the field of psychiatry suffers from a lack of attractiveness, making it difficult to recruit young researchers.
Declared a “major national cause” in 2025, mental health is a major issue for the french ministry of higher Education and Research. In this context, Professor Marion Leboyer, Scientific Coordinator of PROPSY, gave an interview on the challenges and missions of the research program.
France 2030 is the 54 billion euro future investment program launched in 2021. It aims to respond to the major challenges of our time: better living, better understanding and better production.
To meet the challenges of France 2030, 3 billion euros have been earmarked for research via 43 “Priority Research Programs and Equipment” (PEPR), with the aim of building or consolidating French excellence in priority scientific fields at national or European level.
These PEPRs support technological, economic, societal, health or environmental transformation, and focus on emerging infectious diseases, innovative biotherapies, hydrogen, decarbonization of industry, sustainable cities, agriculture, health, digital technology, cybersecurity, quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, etc.