Student mental health and school bullying: Every free support option you need to know in 2026

School Bullying: Still a Widespread Issue

School bullying affects between 800,000 and 1 million children in France every year. A chilling figure that increasingly includes cyberbullying: the number of young people falling victim to humiliating videos, photos, and rumors online has more than doubled in just a few years.

In response, public authorities have stepped up their efforts:

• 3018, the national hotline free, anonymous, and confidential, available 7 days a week from 9am to 11pm, run by the association e-Enfance, for reporting bullying or cyberbullying
• The pHARe program, rolled out across all schools, with trained bullying coordinators and new educational resources (the “toolkits” available since the start of the 2025 school year)
• The “Non au harcèlement” award, which brought together more than 180,000 participants in 2025
• Since March 2022, school bullying has been officially classified as a criminal offense: between 2022 and the end of 2024, 10,100 cases were registered by prosecutors, with 240 convictions handed down at first instance

If you’ve experienced or are still dealing with a bullying situation, know that 3018 remains available even after high school many people don’t realize that. Awareness of the number is still growing too slowly: only half of middle and high schoolers know about it, compared to just 30% of elementary school kids.

Student Mental Health: Free Support You Might Not Know About

Beyond bullying, student mental health more broadly is a growing concern: stress, financial precarity, isolation, exam anxiety… Fortunately, several government programs let you get support for free, with no upfront costs.

Santé Psy Étudiant: 12 Free Sessions a Year

The best-known program is probably Santé Psy Étudiant, a service designed for any student feeling anxious, depressed, or in psychological distress. In practice:

• You get 12 free sessions per year, with no upfront costs (the psychologist is paid directly by your university)
• You no longer need to see a GP first
• It’s open to any student, with no income or age requirements including international students enrolled at a French institution
• All you need is your student ID number (INE) to check your eligibility online

⚠️ Heads up: starting in the 2026/2027 school year, you’ll need to create a personal account to book appointments through the program better to set it up in advance.

Mon Soutien Psy: Can Be Combined with Santé Psy Étudiant

If you have supplementary health insurance, you can also access Mon Soutien Psy, which entitles you to 12 free sessions with a psychologist, and can be combined with Santé Psy Étudiant. These sessions are currently reimbursed, but direct billing (no upfront payment) will be rolled out nationwide starting in October 2026 so soon you won’t even need to pay first.

The New 3040 Listening Line

Since July 1, 2026, you can call a free, confidential listening line at 3040. Shorter and easier to remember than the old number, it connects you with psychologists, educators, and legal advisors during the day. In the evening, Nightline takes over, staffed by trained student volunteers offering peer-to-peer support.

Also worth watching: a national information website dedicated to student mental health will launch in October 2026, to bring all these scattered resources together in one place.

The Role of Your Living Environment: What We See at UXCO Student

At UXCO Student, we believe a home isn’t just four walls it’s also a buffer against isolation, one of the leading drivers of distress when you move to a new city alone, sometimes away from family for the first time.

In our residences, several things make a real difference for you:

• A genuine student community, with common spaces designed to spark connection (coworking areas, lounges, shared kitchens, resident get-togethers) instead of leaving you isolated in your studio
• Secure, resident-only access, so you can feel at home with real peace of mind
• A fully digital, hassle-free move-in process (online application, e-signed lease), to spare you one more layer of administrative stress
• On-site residence managers, someone you can talk to if something’s not right whether it’s a housing issue or you just need someone to listen

We’re not a substitute for professional mental health support but we’re convinced that a reassuring living environment and a real sense of community are part of the defense against isolation and distress.

In Summary: Who to contact, and for what

Your mental health is no longer something to whisper about. The support is there, it’s free, and it keeps expanding every year. The real challenge now: knowing it exists, and making sure you never feel alone facing your struggles at home or anywhere else.