Petit, Nathalie

Addictive behaviors in adolescence: What can we do to prevent them? - 2022.


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In France, the mass prevention of addiction during adolescence is founded upon a behavioral and educational model consisting of transmitting knowledge about health and acquiring life skills (LS). The development and the reinforcement of LS seems to be the only preventive remedy, protecting adolescents from adopting a problematic and alienating behavior. In this article, we argue that, when dealing with the adolescent mental process, prevention must be thought about differently, for this model does not acknowledge the uniqueness of the psychological processes of adolescence. By creating the “Expériences animées” program, we propose a complementary approach based on psychoanalytic ideas and methods. The goal of this approach is to think of prevention as a support for various mental changes, upholding the symbolization process.