[Social representation of the psychiatric diseases in Tunisia]

Nowadays, and thanks to the major transformations experienced by psychiatry, since a half century, we estimate that the perception of the persons with psychiatric disorders would have changed and that they would have acquired the statute of patient with whole share. To study social representation of psychiatric diseases in Tunisia. Prospective study, based on the socio-anthropological fold of the study "Mental health in general population: images and realities", the social representations associated with "madness", "mental illness" and "depression" in a representative sample of 920 subjects. Gradual images for these 3 archetypes were found. In fact, the depression is perceived as a soft disorder, which is reactional to the difficulties of life. The behaviour related to depression not only is seen as the least dangerous, but also the closest to the normality. Therefore, the "depressive" remains relatively accepted and integrated within the society. On the contrary the image of the "insane" is printed by a pejorative connotation and is marked by dangerousness, unpredictability, and immorality. Besides, the origins of the madness seem enigmatic. The "insane" is, therefore, stigmatized and thrown back. His exclusion extends as well to the family, social and professional domains. The image of the mental illness seems some what blurred, taking place in the interface of madness, depression and neurological diseases

[Social representations of the psychiatric care in Tunisia]

The progress in the field of the treatment of the mental illnesses is considerable. However, the clinical reality confirms the delay in access to care for numerous patients. This avoidance is due, in big part, to the pejorative representations of the psychiatrics' system care. To assess the social images in the Tunisian population, regarding 3 stereotypes: "insane", "mentally ill" and "depressive". The used instrument is the socio-anthropological questionnaire of the " Mental health in general population: images and realities" survey. The medicinal treatment occupies the first place of the planned care for an "insane" and for the "mentally ill". For the "depressive" and for our self, population would rather use relational support. Also, we notice that the family, in spite of its suffering and of the undergone daily load, is given is a central place in perception of the care for psychiatric pathologies. Finally, an "insane" is not perceived as possibly cured while it is more expected for the "mentally ill" and even more for the "depressive", even without any medical intervention. In the term of our analysis, let us underline the misunderstanding of the available therapeutic possibilities in psychiatry and the necessity of large-scale raising awareness