Wellness in France.

Summary Since its inception four years ago, the Observatoire du bien-être has taken on the mission of examining the well-being of the French. This report aims to provide a picture of this activity, and in so doing, to paint a portrait of France through the prism of subjective well-being. First of all, work plays an essential role in satisfaction, not only because of the income it provides, but also because of the social relationships it creates and the meaning it gives to individual activity. It is especially through the professional sphere that the level of education contributes to satisfaction. Unfortunately, we note that in the field of work, perhaps more than in any other, the famous "French happiness deficit" is expressed through a higher level of dissatisfaction than among our European neighbors. This is perhaps why, unlike in many countries, the transition to retirement does not seem to be a difficult turning point in France, likely to cause a drop in well-being, even if it does result in a loss of income. For the unemployed, it even represents an exit from precariousness and stigma, which is clearly favorable to well-being. Secondly, social and private ties, the importance of which can be gauged by the particularly deleterious feeling of loneliness that is expressed in certain French municipalities. Indeed, it is in areas of demographic decline, where social life is receding, that we have recently seen signs of strong discontent: dissatisfaction, electoral abstention, and Yellow Vests demonstrations. All in all, the French rank worse than other Europeans on a large number of subjective measures of well-being despite a much less unfavorable situation in terms of objective indicators. We see this as a sign of a worried society, uncomfortable with the transformations that are taking place. Perhaps also, in a centralized society where much is expected of the state, it is particularly distressing to see the national scale largely overtaken by the scale of global change. The last chapter of this book adds historical depth to the analysis, and suggests that the notion of crisis, which appeared in the mid-1970s, has taken root in French society, along with the pessimism and dissatisfaction that accompany it. These observations, made over the past few years, take on new meaning in light of the Covid-19 crisis. While the government faces a difficult trade-off between fighting the epidemic and the economy, it is also gradually becoming aware of the need to preserve the well-being and mental health of the population.