President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday announced that France would offer free psychotherapy sessions for children and adolescents whose mental health has been hurt by the Covid-19 pandemic.
France's social security system will fully reimburse 10 sessions with a psychologist for children aged between 3 and 17, Mr Macron said on a visit to a psychiatric centre in the city of Reims.
"We have today a health problem that is affecting our children and adolescents, and that is adding to the epidemic," he said after meeting patients and psychologists.
Mr Macron said anxiety and other psychological problems were increasing among young people in a way that was not seen in the first lockdown against Covid-19 last year.
France is in a third national lockdown to fight Covid-19, although the restrictions are far more limited than the previous two.
The country kept its schools open much longer than other European neighbours during the second and third virus waves, although it has effectively extended the spring holidays to counter a jump in cases.
