Most recent population surveys on mental health topics only include individuals aged 18 and older. It is therefore quite difficult to find information on young people under the age of 18. However, regarding suicide, depression, and especially addictive behaviors, we can cite the surveys conducted by Inserm and the OFDT since the early 1990s in schools among young people aged 12 to 18. The European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) thus provides insight into the substance use of school-aged youth, particularly those aged 12 to 16, most of whom are still in school. Furthermore, the INPES Health Barometer conducted in 2005 across the entire population surveyed young people aged 12 and older and, for the first time, addressed the topics of mental health as well as access to care for these issues. Epidemiological monitoring of adolescent drug use, for its part, made significant progress in France in the late 1990s, both in terms of the number of surveys conducted and their increasingly greater ability to accurately reflect current practices. Conducted via a self-administered and strictly anonymous questionnaire, the Survey on Health and Substance Use during the Military Service Preparation Call-up (ESCAPAD) provides an annual overview of psychoactive substance use among 17- to 18-year-olds and highlights recent trends in these practices during late adolescence. Finally, health insurance reimbursement data allow for the study of access to specialized care and the use of psychotropic medications among young people.[article excerpt]