La recherche sur les théories du complot connaît un engouement grandissant ces dernières années. Les travaux sont issus de diverses disciplines du champ des sciences humaines. Ils mettent notamment en évidence que l’adhésion aux croyances conspirationnistes connaît un rebond à chaque moment de « crise ». La crise sanitaire que nous traversons n’échappe pas à la règle : la pandémie de COVID-19 se double d’une infodémie, selon le mot de Tedros Ghebreyesus, Directeur Général de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé. En effet, on assiste à la production et la diffusion à l’échelle internationale de fausses informations et, notamment, d’explications complotistes du coronavirus et de ses conséquences. Cette flambée du conspirationnisme est l’occasion d’interroger les enjeux psychiques et psychopathologiques de ce phénomène face à la « crise », qu’elle soit collective ou individuelle, sanitaire ou existentielle. Après avoir procédé à une revue de l’importante littérature scientifique internationale consacrée, ces derniers mois, aux théories conspirationnistes relatives à la crise sanitaire du COVID-19, nous soutenons l’intérêt d’aborder le phénomène conspirationniste sous un angle psychopathologique.

Research on conspiracy theories (CT) has increased significantly in recent years. Studies come from various disciplines in the field of the humanities and social sciences. They show in particular that adherence to CT rebounds at every moment of “crisis”. The health crisis we are experiencing is no exception: COVID-19 pandemic entails an “infodemic”, according to Tedros Ghebreyesus, General Director of the World Health Organization. Indeed, we are witnessing the production, and international dissemination, of false informations, including conspiracy explanations of the coronavirus and its consequences. This outbreak of CT is an opportunity to examine the psychological and psychopathological issues of this phenomenon in the face of the “crisis”, whether collective or individual, health or existential.

We present a review of the important international scientific literature regarding CT related to the health crisis of the COVID-19.

Work that addresses CT related to the COVID-19 crisis has resulted in more than fifty publications in recent months. This research is mainly in the fields of social psychology, medical psychology, differential psychology, political science and public health. The rates of adherence to CT related to COVID-19 are of great concern. The literature mentions predisposing factors to the adherence or diffusion of CT on COVID-19: inclination for CT in general, low level of education, low knowledge of the disease, high level of anxiety, acceptance of xenophobic policies, unfavourable attitude towards marginal groups, nationalist stance. Unsurprisingly, there is widespread agreement in the literature that the conspiracy-prone fringe of the population is less likely to comply with government recommendations related to contamination risks, such as handwashing, social distancing, wearing masks, and using diagnostic tests. This crisis thus demonstrates once again that the circulation of false news and adherence to CT is not just a marginal and inconsequential thinking: it concerns a very large part of the population, with a potentially tragic impact in terms of public health. While there is usually no significant difference in adherence to CT according to gender, it would seem that women are less affected by CT related to the COVID than men, regardless of their political affiliation. Finally, studies on the links between adherence to COVID-related CT and stress levels do not seem to reach a consensus. The same uncertainty can be found in work on other types of CT.

These results suggest that in order to understand the psychological causes of CT, it may be useful to address the psychodynamic issues underlying adherence to these beliefs. In particular, a psychopathological approach to this phenomenon enables to understand these beliefs as a defensive solution to cope with psychic vulnerability. CT involves overproducing meaning, as delusion does: CT can be considered as the collective, cultural equivalent of a delusional production. Moreover, it is impervious to arguments and evidences, in the same manner as delusion. However, it differs from it by at least two major characteristics: it is shareable and socializing; it gives rise to a consistent attitude.