Two medicines: therapeutic pluralism and mental health in Lorraine

Résumé 0

Non-conventional care programmes in France encounter a policy of tolerance that indiscriminately regulates the different practices involved. Based on the ALTERMENTAL research, which focuses on the way conventional and alternative programmes interact in the mental healthcare trajectories of the people of Lorraine, we explored factors that could encourage people to visit non-conventional practitioners for mental health issues. We conducted semi-directive interviews with a total of 29 patients, non-conventional practitioners in this region. For the conventional practitioners, the issues of the possible excesses and risks do not seem to be major preoccupations. As for non-conventional practitioners, fear of being perceived as dangerous or illegal has consequences on their practice. Enhanced contact across different practices could enable a better understanding of therapeutic pluralism.