title: Mental health in France, policies and actors: developing administrative knowledge in a segmented world.
abstract: The new mental health care policy, which has been set up in France, involves a change of paradigm, which has been going on since the 2000s: the emphasis is shifting from psychiatry to mental health care. This shift mainly concerns the knowledge about mental health is produced and circulates among an increasingly large number of bodies. Mainly grounded on actor interview analysis, official reports and blueprints, this study shows that the results of this process are numerous. They include the development of ambulatory care and strong moves towards decentralization. More data and knowledge are therefore to be shared in this more complex system. However, the French State, in the form of the central administration, is taking advantage of this move and is still contributing significantly to the definition and implementation of the new policy. On the other hand, the new governance dynamic is not leading to standardization of medical practices, as the mental health field remains highly heterogeneous.
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille University, Lest, UMR 7317, CNRS, Aix en Provence, France. mosse@univ-amu.fr
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mossé
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maury
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Daumerie
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Roelandt
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000266:history; D005602:France; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000458:organization & administration; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006291:Health Policy; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health / Q000639:trends; D008605:Mental Health Services; D011050:Policy Making; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000639:trends
keywords: France; health policy; knowledge; mental health; public action