The adventures of psychiatric reform in Greece: 1999-2019.

Michael G Madianos

doi:10.1192/bji.2019.30

Abstract

Psychiatric care in Greece has a long history of traditional in-patient treatment in large public institutions (the public asylum period), which lasted until 1983. European Economic Community (EEC) intervention in 1984 marked a transitional period (1984-1989) characterised by the beginning of the transformation of the mental healthcare system. The current reform era started in 1999 and has included new mental health law, the closure of six public mental hospitals and the establishment of several sectorised mental health services.

Highlights

The asylum period, starting with the founding of the first public mental hospitals in the country in the late 19th century. They were the prevalent type of care in the public sector until the early 1980s. This was followed by a transitional period that resulted largely from the European Economic Community’s (EEC’s) intervention, which led to reform of the mental healthcare system 3 years after Greece had become a member state in 1981
While Greece was facing this inadequate mental healthcare system, community psychiatry and the transformation of psychiatric services had already been introduced in several north-western European countries, with the closure of psychiatric hospitals and the deinstitutionalisation of numerous long-stay patients.[6]
In Greece, psychiatric reform has been characterised by a slow process and by retrogressive steps; it has not been motivated by public opinion

Summary

Introduction

The asylum period, starting with the founding of the first public mental hospitals in the country in the late 19th century. This was followed by a transitional period that resulted largely from the European Economic Community’s (EEC’s) intervention, which led to reform of the mental healthcare system 3 years after Greece had become a member state in 1981.

Results

Conclusion