Fondation Groupe Primonial issued its first call for projects in the health field.

As part of the expansion of its scope of action to Health, following its change of scale, Fondation Groupe Primonial launched on 16 September 2020 and issued its first call for projects in the health field.

Fondation Groupe Primonial has established projects offering a response to the issues created by the current crisis as the priority through to the end of 2020 in order to reduce worsening vulnerabilities and inequalities. To this end, this first call for ‘health’ projects covered the theme of Mental health risks and difficulties triggered or worsened by the health crisis.

The exponential increase in new cases and the effects of preventative measures (social distancing, quarantines) have had significant knock-on effects on mental health and post-traumatic stress problems throughout the French population.

The fear of infection, reduction in social interaction and physical activity, and the increase in stress, boredom and frustration… several studies have confirmed that the Covid-19 pandemic, the loss of familiar routines and the reduction in social contact have increased the risk of psychological problems for individuals, particularly those in the most precarious situations, who are often the most vulnerable.

We are not all equal in the face of this crisis: people struggling financially or living in overcrowded conditions; women and children who are the victims of abuse, or people with close relatives who fall ill are amongst the most severely exposed. Moreover, some media content may constitute an additional stress factor, particularly for individuals who are psychologically vulnerable.

In the face of these difficulties, Fondation Groupe Primonial is committed to helping organisations working in the field to provide a response to the psychological problems of the most exposed and vulnerable populations, through the creation of specific programmes or alternative and innovative care pathways. It is worth remembering that 12 million people in France, or 20% of the population, are affected by mental health problems in some way.