Qualitative Study of Student Financial Insecurity and Psychiatry (QUALIPEPSY)

A Qualitative Exploration of the Impact of Financial Insecurity on the Development of Psychiatric Disorders and the Use of Healthcare Services Among Students

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health disorders have increased significantly, particularly among young people. In France, the proportion of young people aged 18 to 25 suffering from depression almost doubled between 2017 and 2021. This phenomenon particularly affects students, who are already identified as being at greater risk of mental health disorders than the general population. Medical students seem to be particularly vulnerable: in 2021, a national study showed very high rates of depression and suicidal thoughts in this population. The main factor associated with depression was the feeling of financial hardship.

Students often face multiple forms of insecurity. Financially, they have limited resources and struggle to cover their basic needs such as housing, food and healthcare. Socially, many experience significant isolation, particularly when they are away from their families or under pressure from their studies. All of this has a significant impact on their mental health. Unfortunately, many students do not seek help due to lack of time, resources, or awareness of support services. The 2021 study showed that only one-third of medical students suffering from depression received appropriate treatment.

The aim of the study is to explore the lived experiences of the students concerned in order to identify what they perceive as the various aspects of student precarity (housing, transport, isolation, financial difficulties, etc.) and the links they perceive between these and their psychological distress. This study will deepen our understanding of these factors by exploring students' lived experiences, and will bring to light elements not identified by quantitative studies.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Depressive Disorder; Generalized Anxiety Disorder; Suicidal Ideation
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Semi-structured interviews

Detailed Description

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increase in depression, particularly among young people. The French health barometer, conducted every 4-5 years by Santé Publique France (SPF), found that the prevalence of major depressive episodes (MDE) among 18-25 year olds doubled (from 11.7% to 20.8%) between 2017 and 2021. There has also been an increase in suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. Among students, data from the 2016 Student Life Observatory (OVE) found a higher prevalence of CDE and suicidal thoughts among students than in the general population of the same age. Among the factors associated with the risk of EDC, experiencing significant financial difficulties was the main one[4]. Among medical students, a national study conducted in 2021 found that the prevalence of depression and suicidal thoughts was much higher than in the general population of the same age. Financial difficulties were also the main factor associated with the risk of depression. Indeed, students are a population that is particularly vulnerable to precariousness due to several factors. Economically, they often have limited incomes, depending on parental support, insufficient grants or precarious jobs. This exposes them to difficulties in meeting their basic needs such as housing, food and healthcare. Socially, isolation can exacerbate their situation, especially when they are far from their family network or under pressure from their studies. In addition, high academic demands, combined with unstable living conditions, impact their mental health and can contribute to the development of psychiatric disorders, which often go untreated due to a lack of affordable and accessible resources. International students are even more vulnerable due to language and administrative barriers and limited access to local support services. This multidimensional precariousness highlights the need for comprehensive support for this population, even though students are unlikely to seek professional help. In the 2021 survey, only 32% of medical students suffering from depression received adequate care. If we want to improve the health of medical students, we must not only treat disorders, but also prevent them from occurring by helping students strive for a state of well-being. In terms of prevention, the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS) distinguishes between three levels: primary prevention, which acts upstream of the disease (on risk factors); secondary prevention, which acts at an early stage of its development (screening); and tertiary prevention, which acts on complications and the risk of recurrence.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 30

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Marie BENHAMMANI-GODARD; Phone Number: 0033158411190; Email: marie.godard@aphp.fr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Cédric LEMOGNE, MC, PhD; Phone Number: 0033 1 42 34 85 76; Email: cedric.lemogne@aphp.fr

Study Locations

• France
  • IDF
    • Paris, IDF, France, 75014
      • Adult Psychiatry Department - Hôtel-Dieu Hospital
      • Contact: Cédric LEMOGNE, MD, PhD; Phone Number: 0033 1 42 34 85 76; Email: cedric.lemogne@aphp.fr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Student enrolled at Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) University or the Faculty of Health Sciences at Université Paris Cité (UPC)

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• A student enrolled at Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) University or the Faculty of Health Sciences at Université Paris Cité (UPC),
• Aged 18 or over,
• Fluent in French,
• be a student,
• have used the PPOP scheme,
• not object to participating after receiving clear information.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Participants under the age of 18,
• not enrolled at PSL universities or the UPCS Faculty of Health Sciences,
• insufficient proficiency in French to conduct an interview,
• refusal to participate,
• clinical vulnerability deemed incompatible by the referring consultant.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Patients; Students	Other: Semi-structured interviews; Semi-structured interviews

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Semi-structured interview	This is an exploratory, inductive qualitative study. The aim is not to measure but to explore and understand these students' lived experiences, without any preconceived assumptions	Day of inclusion

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Semi-structured interview	This is an exploratory, inductive qualitative study. The aim is not to measure but to explore and understand these students' lived experiences, without any preconceived assumptions	Day of inclusion

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
• Collaborators: URC-CIC Paris Descartes Necker Cochin; INSERM UMR1153; INSERM U1266; Fondation hospitalière pour la recherche sur la précarité et l'exclusion sociale
• Investigators: Study Chair: Ariel FRAJERMAN, MD, Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France; Study Director: Jordan SIBEONI, MD, PhD, Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): October 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): April 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 17, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 17, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 22, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 17, 2026
• Last Verified: July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Depression; Students; Qualitative study; Precarity; Use of care
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Behavioral Symptoms; Self-Injurious Behavior; Mood Disorders; Suicide; Anxiety Disorders; Behavior; Suicidal Ideation; Depression; Depressive Disorder; Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Other Study ID Numbers: APHP260752 - QUALIPEPSY; 2026-A01287-44 (Other Identifier: France : Ministry of Health)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No