Abstract
This thesis is at the crossroads of entrepreneurship, cognitive psychology and health psychology. It contributes to the recent trend of the health of SME managers which aims to better understand the impact of the entrepreneurial function on the health of the self-employed. This research is particularly interested in the issue of mental health through the risk of burnout and suicide. To this end, it mobilises a cognitive approach in order to better understand the impact of entrepreneurial stress on the mental health of SME managers, and from there, the "why" some entrepreneurs burn out at work or even commit suicide? The objective of this work is to contribute to a better understanding of the psychological suffering of entrepreneurs. To this end, this thesis is based on four academic contributions and relies on a mainly quantitative methodology. A qualitative study is nevertheless conducted in an exploratory manner on the issue of suicide, a subject that is still taboo and very little studied in the employer world.The research is constructed in three stages, the first of which is interested in studying the emotional spectra of two stressors of the entrepreneurial function. The second stage focuses on two mental health risks subsequent to the two stressors of the entrepreneurial function (burnout and suicidal risks). Finally, the third and last step aims to study entrepreneurial motivation as a moderating factor for the two targeted mental health risks. The results show an emotional ambiguity in the work overload of SME managers. The perception of the event accompanying the overload will thus have a determining role in the impact of this stressor on health. In addition, SME managers are not immune to the risk of burnout on a daily basis. And depending on the context, this can be moderated by entrepreneurial motivation. Finally, the results also highlight the tragic nature of entrepreneurial failure and the omnipresence of debt in the risk of entrepreneurial suicide.