Le long voyage des familles : la relation entre la psychiatrie et la famille au cours du XXe siècle

Abstract

A long journey for the families. The family in psychiatry over the 20th century Some of the major themes developed in the sociology of mental health and in psychiatry are presented here specifically from the point of view of how the family has been perceived over the 20th century. Historically, the family was initially considered the « cause » of mental health problems. Today, in the age of psychiatrie desinstitutionalization, it has become a « solution » for keeping patients in their natural living environment. Thus, a major paradigm shift has occurred in going from a pathological model of the family to that of qualified caregiver. With a critical eye, the author presents the stages that have operated this transformation. The family's long journey through the past 100 years will take us to the two topics of research most frequently explored today, namely, caregiver burden and expressed emotion. What we know about families that care for a severely mentally disordered loved one at home remains very limited, however, and the dynamics between families and professionals continue to be characterized by a certain animosity. Even though it is considered a key element in the policy aimed at caring for patients in the community, the family is still only in part recognized as a potentially positive source of influence in the treatment trajectory.