Created in partnership with the national agency Santé publique France, the Public Health Annual Chair is designed to encourage excellence in research and intellectual debate at the highest level on public health issues.

Mental health and addictions: from individual suffering to population action

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 that mental health will 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 how have they evolved recently? What does it cover, from temporary symptoms of ill-being to severe psychiatric disorders? What doesn't it cover? Are certain manifestations of psychological difficulties more frequent today than in the past? What are the main individual and collective risk and protective factors?