Approximately one French person in five is affected by a mental disorder every year. The health crisis linked to COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of preventing and treating these disorders, at a time when the WHO considers mental health to be the next health challenge of the century. A challenge that more than ever concerns France, where suicide rates and the consumption of psychotropic drugs are high. Behind these findings, widely publicized as part of the Great National Cause of 2025, what is mental health ? Where do current definitions come from, and what are their recent evolutions ? What does this notion cover, from temporary symptoms of malaise to severe psychiatric disorders ? What does it not cover ? Are certain manifestations of psychological difficulties more frequent today than in the past ? What are the main individual and collective risk and protection factors ?
The lectures will question the definitions of the main psychological disorders, as measured in the context of public health research, from childhood to adulthood, and the family and social determinants associated with the risk of their occurrence, severity and persistence. The focus will be on the intergenerational transmission of psychiatric disorders, and the family and social determinants that may be associated with mental health : experiences of violence at different ages, disruptions in life courses, material living conditions, and social ties. The underlying questions will be addressed at : how can we identify people whose suffering requires medical care ? How can we best support them ? Is it possible to prevent mental disorders and improve the mental health of the population ? Research in psychiatric and social epidemiology, as well as in psychology, sociology and economics, will sketch out possible answers to these questions.