Representations of mental health, madness, mental illness and depression in the general population of French Guiana: Similarities and differences between sociodemographic subgroups
Mathieu Nacher, Astrid Van Melle, Estelle Thomas, Johanna Pavie, Blandine Solignat, Imane Benradia, Deborah Sebbane, Jean-Luc Roelandt, Caroline Janvier, François Lair, Vincent Bobillier, Karli Montague-Cardoso, Karli Montague-Cardoso · 2026
Read Representations of mental health, madness, mental illness and depression in the general population of French Guiana: Similarities and differences between sociodemographic subgroups by Mathieu Nacher, Astrid Van Melle, Estelle Thomas, Johanna Pavie, Blandine Solignat, Imane Benradia, Deborah Sebbane, Jean-Luc Roelandt, Caroline Janvier, François Lair, Vincent Bobillier, Karli Montague-Cardoso, Karli Montague-Cardoso (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13472403.txt.
Description
Mathieu Nacher and co-authors survey, in a 2026 study, how people in French Guiana picture mental health, madness, mental illness, and depression. The territory mixes cultures and wealth levels, which could split such views. The team drew on a 2021 general population survey of 881 adults in the Cayenne area. Open answers were sorted by theme.
Depression sat apart in the public mind, tied to sadness, life blows, and suffering. Madness and mental illness blurred into one image of lost control, danger, and a faulty brain. Violence and false beliefs were laid at their door, while depression drew a picture of withdrawal. Life events were the top cause named for all three. Most backed professional help, and stigma ran highest for madness and lowest for depression. Views were much alike across groups, with gaps tracking education and income more than country of birth.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Mathieu Nacher, Astrid Van Melle, Estelle Thomas, Johanna Pavie, Blandine Solignat, Imane Benradia, Deborah Sebbane, Jean-Luc Roelandt, Caroline Janvier, François Lair, Vincent Bobillier, Karli Montague-Cardoso, Karli Montague-Cardoso |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 65 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |