Images of the "Insane," the "Mentally Ill," and the "Depressed" in Nouméa, New Caledonia

Abstract

Social representations of mental health in the population of Nouméa and its suburbs (Greater Nouméa) in New Caledonia were studied during the third phase of the survey “Mental Health in the General Population: Images and Realities,” conducted in August 2006. Method: A representative sample of 904 participants taken from the population of Nouméa and Greater Nouméa were interviewed using the survey questionnaire. Analytical results were interpreted in the light of the results of the preceding survey, the specialized literature, and the cultural and social context in New Caledonia. Results: Data for the social representation of the “insane” person revealed dehumanizing aspects related to a lack of human features, incomprehensible behavior, and danger. The social representation of the mentally ill person was found to be a medicalized transition of the insane person, bearing more human and comprehensible aspects similar to those observed in France. Conclusions: The social representation of the depressed person comprise cultural variants and may be a promising gateway for campaigns to promote mental health. The social representation of the insane person comprises cultural invariants that are more archaic and probably involve universal features of human disposition (i.e., fear of the unknown in someone who violates the norms of human behavior). These variations may be essential to the understanding of exclusionary attitudes.