The French government has unveiled a sweeping mental health initiative that puts the country’s heightened psychological well-being on the national agenda. In response to rising rates of anxiety, depression and burnout in French citizens, the Minister of Health has announced the plan today.

Dubbed ‘Santé Mentale pour Tous’ (Mental Health for All), the initiative announced on Monday will see €1.5 billion committed over the next period to increase access to mental health services and reduce stigma and promote good psychological health across the population. This major investment marks a key change in the direction taken by mental health care in France, a country where the vast majority of resources has been allocated to treat severe psychiatric illnesses.

The first command of the plan is to open free mental health consultations to all French citizens. Under this plan, individuals will get up to 10 free therapy sessions with a licenced psychologist or psychiatrist per year. This is some kind of legislation trying to take away the financial parts that make people not go and get their mental health looked after by a professional.

The campaign also includes a nationwide awareness effort to fight the stigma of mental illness. Certain prominent public figures will participate in the campaign, telling stories about their own mental health challenges to normalise mental health discussion and push them to get help if needed.

Beyond these measures, the government hopes to triple the number of mental health professionals in the country. Included in the initiative is funding for the training of 5,000 new psychologists and psychiatrists over the decade, with particular emphasis on finding people to work in underserved rural areas.

The plan also emphasises prevention and early intervention. In this effort mental health education will be introduced into school curricula. Lessons will include emotional intelligence, stress management and learning the value of asking for help when you need it for mental health concerns.

It’s another nutsy thing about the initiative, a national mental health hotline where you can call staffed by trained professionals 24 hours a day. By offering immediate support and guidance to those experiencing a mental health crisis and information, referral to ongoing care for those seeking it, this service will be available.

Mental health advocates and medical professionals have broadly approved the announcement. Dr. The initiative is “a major progress in recognising the value of mental health as a part of a balanced life,” Sophie Dubois, president of the French Psychiatric Association, told AFP.

Still, some critics complain that the plan does not get to the heart of the underlying causes of mental health problems like work pressure and social inequality. ‘So while more availability of mental health services is vital, you need to tackle the social factors which ultimately feed psychological distress in the first place,’ said Jean-Pierre Martin, a leading sociologist.

In response, the government has said that the mental health initiative is only one aspect of a policy aimed at improving quality of life for French people, and it continues to try to reform labour laws and narrow economic gaps.

With France prioritising mental health, many are watching to see the effect it will have on a nation’s well being and how the initiative will be implemented. As mental health has become increasingly recognised as a global priority for public health, this could be used as a model for other countries to build their mental health systems.

next month’s rollout of its “Santé Mentale pour Tous” initiative, which aims to provide free consultation to all, hopes to be fully up and running by the end of 2020. With the help of France’s national and regional institutions and their managers, as well as the citizen’s support, this ambitious journey will be an opportunity to change the way France faces mental health, and will be watched by the whole world to see if a comprehensive strategy can really change the lives of millions of French citizens.