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What are the links between mental health, social adaptation and individuality in contemporary societies? A tentative answer, it seems to me, is to be placed in the context of the profound changes that have taken place in social normativity's soil. This could help us toward a better understanding of the complex and necessary links between the institutionalized forms of those three tightly-knit social (and sociological) notions. First, I would problematize the reference to the norm as a sine qua non condition of every social intervention, be such intervention deployed in the «negative» (regulation, control, repression) or «positive» (aid, claims-making, struggle, cure) side of mental health. Second, I would describe — rather schematically — in what way mental health has been problematized, and in what way it is in contemporary societies. Finally, I would discuss the tight relations that exist between the definitions of contemporary individuality, social adaptation and mental health.

Keywords: santé mentale, adaptation sociale, normes sociales, individualité, psychiatrie, mental health, social adaptation, social norms, individuality, psychiatry, salud mental, adaptación social, norma social, individualidad, psiquiatría

Autism representations are being redefined. My essay attempts to analyse the underlying issues of the transformations presently taking place. The study of the purpose of associations for parents of autistic children shows how, in France, those associations contribute to the establishment of public policies, but also how the demands from some of those associations coincide both with the interests of those promoting new methods and of those from public powers who wish to call upon the private sector. The new orientations of autistic people associations, which resemble self-supporting groups, is oriented to a direct commitment, and to the roles of self-help, news, and political and identitary claims that aim to modify the understanding of autism, so that the autistic subject is no longer considered as sick but as a person using a different cognitive operation. Transformation imposed by the associations, public powers and the new autism «market» create great tensions in the specialists' universe.

Keywords: autisme, représentations, associations, groupes d'auto-support, politiques publiques, autism, representations, associations, self-supporting groups, public policies, autismo, representaciones, asociaciones, grupos de auto-apoyo, políticas públicas

This article aims to problematize the «personhood movement» in Alzheimer care. The recent history of this movement, which aims to rescue «the person within», is explicitly formulated against a biomedical approach. The latter is conceived as negating personhood by emphasizing cognition, rationality, reflexivity and autonomy. It will be argued that the changing notions of personhood in Alzheimer disease and other forms of dementia extend life during life. This is related to what social scientists have called for a long time a «social death». Practices directed towards personhood can be understood as the cultural negotiations around a bio-social death which, nevertheless, have their own shortcomings and unquestioned common sense.

Keywords: démence, personne, mort bio-sociale, Alzheimer, dementia, personhood, bio-social death, Alzheimer, demencia, persona, muerte bio-social, Alzheimer

This article will attempt to explain why the consumption of psychotropic medications is increasing in Western societies. To do so, rather than trying to gain insight into this question in the usual, somewhat classic manner (i.e., by questioning the boundaries between the normal and the pathological), we will instead approach it by analyzing some of the mechanisms that today put medication at the centre of our daily lives. In this article, I argue that the «success» of psychotropic medications can be seen as an epiphenomenon of the success of medications in general. After deconstructing some of the postulates or «myths» on which studies of psychotropic medication use are too often based, I will offer explanations at several levels for the «success» of medications in contemporary Western societies by identifying the threefold «obsession» that has arisen around body, health, and risk.

Keywords: psychotropes, médicaments, risque, modernité, santé mentale, psychotropics, medications, risk, modernity, mental health, psicotrópicos, medicamentos, riesgo, modernidad, salud mental

Adolescents face many social and learning challenges such as finding their place within their families and their peer group, as well as developing their academic, physical and/or artistic abilities. However, what happens when an adolescent becomes depressed, uses substances repeatedly and has an increased risk of suicide? Family, friends and professionals may quickly feel overwhelmed by the situation. What is the best way to intervene with these youths and their families? This type of difficulty carries with it clinical, psychosocial and confidentiality issues. However, should these dilemmas interfere with a professional's intervention? This article is an analysis of clinical practices and treatment towards adolescents with depression, suicidality and substance use. This is based on our experience at the Douglas Institute 2nd and 3rd line specialized program with adolescent depression. The literature review has been revised in order to support our recommendations. Together, professionals are often required to look for solutions to improve these difficult situations, which bring them outside of their normal practice. In this article, interaction among adolescent depression and substance use disorder will be presented first. Then, we will help the reader to reflect on how better assessment and intervention with a specific angle of preventing suicide, will take place during this delicate period of adolescent development.

Keywords: dépression, abus de substances, suicide, adolescence, prévention, intervention, depression, substance abuse, suicide, adolescence, prevention, intervention, depresión, abuso de sustancias, suicidio, adolescencia, prevención, intervención

This article examines the position taken by various actors, past and present, with reference to Anicinabek alcohol consumption, between the early nineteenth century and today: fur traders, shamans, Catholic missionaries, members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, agents from the Department of Indian Affairs, and Anicinabek community leaders. First, we examine the behaviour adopted by representatives of each category through the lens of historical documentation, which we then compare to the ways contemporary Anicinabek people of different generations perceive these same historical actors. We show that among both Anicinabek people and outsiders, some have encouraged alcohol consumption whereas others have tried to limit or inhibit it. We also show that contemporary perceptions of past attitudes regarding alcohol vary according to the age of the informant and his or her background.

Keywords: alcool, Amérindiens, histoire, consommation, régulation, Algonquins, Alcohol, Indigenous peoples, history, consumption, regulation, Algonquin, alcohol, amerindios, historia, consumo, regulación, algonquinos

Collaborative inquiry (CI) often prefers using the small group as the main method of investigation serving the twin goals that characterize this type of research—the production of scientific knowledge and the professional development of its participants. The small group offers researchers and practitioners a mutual space for analyzing issues of common interest which arise from the day-to-day experience of the latter. Supporting these groups and their participants can be a major challenge and plays a crucial role in carrying out a CI project. But what exactly do this stance and the work supporting it entail? The authors of this article offer some possible answers to this broad question by drawing on their own experiences in various CI projects and on a systematic approach that they have developed in recent years. Knowledge related to CI— as a methodological approach and as part of the process and goals of experiential learning in particular—made it possible to study support issues, starting with areas of focus that guide researchers and act as reference points in the course of this work.

Keywords: recherche collaborative, accompagnement en groupe, apprentissage expérientiel, production de connaissances, collaborative inquiry, group support, experiential learning, knowledge production

In France and in Quebec, the training objectives of education professionals are now contained in repositories of skills. The French repository is strongly influenced by the figure of the ‘reflective practitioner' (Schön, 1983). This paper presents a training device for future professionals of teaching and education that focuses on interactions between students through the use of practices writing groups, an inter-student correspondence and ‘cooperative institutions'. By analysing some of the materials collected for research purposes during the training, comprehension assumptions are offered about the subjective rearrangements experienced by students and the device capabilities to promote an appropriate acquisition of professional position.

Keywords: formation professionnelle, écriture monographique, correspondance, élaboration psychique, remaniements subjectifs, enseignants et personnels d'éducation, vocational training, monographic writing, correspondence, psychical elaboration, subjective rearrangements, teachers and educators

This study focuses on 22 former students looking for a job or newly entered into the teaching profession. Based on their autobiographical writings, this longitudinal research identifies nine variables influencing their integration. Their weights differ as well as the polarity of their influences. For example, while the steps to get a stable job are often seen as an obstacle, relational skills are an asset for integration into the profession. Moreover, this research suggests, in order to understand these integration processes, that variables beyond classroom work should also be included.

Keywords: Insertion professionnelle, développement professionnel, enseignants novices, méthode inductive, approche qualitative, Professional integration, professional development, novice teachers, inductive method, qualitative approach