Innovative societies in the fields of mental health and ageing: The French case
V. Rialle
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AbstractBackground: The study is located at the confluence of healthcare, aging, and technology, and the pressing need for societal transformation. Research aim: We present a reflective study aimed at analyzing the societal resilience against two health and social issues that have severely worsened in France: The gerontology sector has been shaken by the increase of degradation of quality of life in certain nursing homes, while the psychiatric institution has been stressed by the increase of homelessness and its own mental health issues. Against such backdrops, the societal resilience has produced a wealth of laws, ideas, and initiatives, including g cutting edge technologies, to enhance the transition towards a inclusive, sustainable and healthy (and so an innovative) society. Method: Seven recent papers of the author, published from 2016 through 2019 in peer-reviewed French-speaking journals, along with some abstracts published in the Gerontechnology journal, have been gathered to furnish the basic materials of the reflective study. This set of papers deals with the above-mentioned psychiatric and gerontological social issues, along with a series of prominent innovations to tackle these issues by means of science, technology, and health policy. The study is focused on the French case in accordance with the ‘case study’ methodology and is devoid of any nationalism. Results The reflective study resulted in a threefold aspect of the societal resilience process: First, the awareness maturation step: From acute societal issues to innovation; Second, the public policy step; i.e., the French world of laws, action plans, and national ethical lighting to pave the way to solutions; Third, the social innovation and disruptive thinking step to achieve sustainable solutions. Conclusion: Besides the important case analysis results, the research intends to be an incentive with some methodological hints to tackle the ISG’s investigation area of gerontechnology and sustainable humanity.Keywords: Sustainability, resilience, innovation, psychiatry, gerontechnology
V. Rialle (2020). Innovative societies in the fields of mental health and ageing: The French case. Gerontechnology, 19(1), 4-15
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2020.19.1.002.00