Clarifying the contours of research in health promotion (HP) is an ongoing challenge. Research in this action-oriented field has traditionally been developed based on values such as participation and empowerment. Consequently, many forms of participatory research have emerged throughout the years, and participatory research has positioned itself as a core competency of HP and public health. This paper argues that participation as a normative stance guiding methodology, or as value, is a fragile posture upon which to position research practices. The argument is based on a realist-constructionist perspective of science and specifically uses Law and Latour's notion of inscription device and Callon's actor-network theory to suggest that participation is an epistemological necessity and that participatory research practices may be considered as inscription devices. These theoretical notions help clarify the consequences of participation on knowledge production. Finally, the article refers to Stengers's work to propose an ecology of research practices that defines obligations and exigencies for HP with respect to knowledge production and that are more consistent with the field's values of social justice and equity.
Au Québec et ailleurs dans le monde, la préoccupation s’accentue en regard de la santé mentale de l’ensemble de la population et de la nécessité de concentrer plus d’énergie sur les interventions préventives et de promotion. Il est alors recommandé que les acteurs de santé publique agissent en tant que chef de file de l’action de promotion de la santé mentale et de prévention des troubles mentaux et établissent les partenariats nécessaires avec les acteurs des secteurs de la santé, des services sociaux et des autres secteurs indispensables à l’action en santé mentale. Les acteurs de santé publique au Canada ne sont toutefois pas encore suffisamment soutenus dans ce rôle. Ils expriment, entre autres besoins, celui d’avoir accès à des cadres structurants qui clarifient leur action en santé mentale. Cet article propose un cadre de référence pour soutenir l’action en santé mentale des populations. Ce cadre identifie les différentes dimensions propres à l’intervention en faveur de l’amélioration de la santé mentale de la population et de la réduction des inégalités de santé mentale. L’article illustre enfin comment l’application de la responsabilité populationnelle au niveau local permet de mettre en pratique les différentes dimensions de ce cadre de référence. Ultimement il permet aux acteurs de santé publique de mieux cerner leur action en faveur de la santé mentale des populations.In Quebec, like elsewhere in the world, we are witnessing a growing concern for the population’s mental health and for the importance of concentrating efforts on prevention and promotion. In this context, public health actors are invited to adopt a leadership role in advancing mental health promotion and mental disorder prevention goals, and establish the required partnerships with actors from the health and social services and from other sectors who are indispensable to the population mental health agenda. In Canada, public heath actors are not yet sufficiently supported in this role. They express the need to access structuring frameworks which can clarify their action in mental health. This article first presents the momentum for change at the policy level within the field of mental health. A framework to support population mental health action is then presented. The framework identifies the various dimensions underlying the promotion of population mental health as well as the reduction of mental health inequalities. The article finally illustrates how the application of a populational (the application of a populational responsibility perspective) responsibility perspective, as it is defined in the context of Quebec, facilitates the implementation of the various elements of this framework. In the end, public health actors are better equipped to situate their practice in favour of the population’s ment...
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