The main mission of the Occupational Health Department at the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance is to monitor health in relation to occupational activity. To this end, it can draw on data generated in other contexts, particularly public health surveys conducted among the general population in France. An example illustrating this approach focuses on the study of mental health in relation to occupational activity, based on the INSEE Decennial Health Survey conducted in 2002–2003. Analysis of these data by occupation reveals significant differences in the prevalence of depressive symptoms across social categories and occupational sectors. Despite certain limitations, the use of large-scale public health surveys offers valuable advantages for supplementing occupational risk surveillance tools.