[Mortality of psychiatric inpatients in France during World War II: a demographic study].

Introduction: In France, World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945. Under-nourishment was a national problem, and was more severe in mental hospitals. The mortality of psychiatric inpatients in France during World War II has long been a controversial issue in the country.

[What epidemiologic goals in psychiatry for public statistics?].

Background: French public statistics to be used in psychiatry are currently being reorganized. The Academy of Sciences and professionals have stated that epidemiologists should be involved when large databases are being designed.

Methods: The three parts of the current French public statistics system are described: routine data, comprehensive census surveys and surveys with representative samples.

[Old and new long stay patients in French psychiatric institutions: results from a national random survey with two-year follow-up].

Long stays are often thought to result from outdated methods of treatment, so that modernization should bring them to an end. The purpose of this work is to find out whether old and new long stay patients are to be found in French psychiatric institutions, as they have been in several other countries, and if so, describe some characters of the patients, in order to give a better understanding of the situation. As early as 1972, Wing and Hailey were able to study old and new long stay patients in the Camberwell register.