Youth Mental Health: A Challenge We Must Tackle Together

Among the causes of deteriorating mental health is a crisis environment that has become the new normal, whether on a geopolitical, energy, or financial level. There is widespread uncertainty regarding access to employment and housing. The increasingly pressing climate crisis is also a major source of stress for young people. 

For college students, this is compounded by a sense of exhaustion, difficulty finding a balance between the intense pressure and frenetic pace of the academic year, and, in some cases, stress related to financing their education. The largely sedentary nature of study periods and exam cramming, along with a certain degree of isolation—sometimes far from family—does not help matters. Fatigue and burnout set in, potentially leading to depression, which in some cases justifies the prescription of antidepressants. Among the students affected, there is also a growing proportion of international students. 

Through the CMP, UNamur offers a wide range of services to students who need them. These include psychological and medical consultations, screenings, workshops on mental health awareness, stress management workshops, assistance with academic (re)orientation, and support for students with disabilities and special needs… All of these services are completely free for our students. Among the most in-demand services are psychological consultations. The CMP does its best to meet these numerous requests: a wait of several weeks, as is the case in all mental health services, has become the norm. 

What students particularly appreciate is having access to support right on campus—free of charge and easily accessible during the week—in complete confidentiality and without judgment. They also value the support provided by psychologists who fully understand the realities of higher education and to whom they don’t need to explain the pressures that come with it. The CMP also reaches out to students through initiatives in partnership with student groups or at events like the university festival, to promote its services, raise awareness, and share tools to improve well-being and detect mental health issues as early as possible. 

[*] Source: Sciensano press release, October 28, 2025. 

To learn more about its services, visit the CMP website

As part of its 13th European tour, the Birmingham Festival Choral Society (BFCS) will hold a free concert at Saint-Loup Church in Namur on May 29, 2026 (8:00 p.m.). The BFCS is one of the oldest choirs in the United Kingdom, and today offers a wide-ranging repertoire that includes classical choral works by Bach, contemporary pieces, opera choruses, and works from the jazz and folk traditions. The BFCS has long supported important causes, both in the United Kingdom and abroad. During this tour, a collection will be taken at the end of each concert to benefit an association or foundation working in the field of mental health in connection with the city’s university. At the Namur concert, the proceeds from the collection will go toward the initiatives of the CMP at UNamur. 

Would you also like to support the CMP’s efforts and help expand its resources? You can show your support on the Together for Youth Mental Health project page. 

Donations of €40 or more made to UNamur are tax-deductible and qualify for a 30% tax credit. A donation of €80 will actually cost you €56 after the tax deduction. 

Thank you for your support!