Citation

Stylianidis S, Souliotis K. BJPsych Int. 2019; 16(1): 16-18.

Affiliation

Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Peloponnese, Corinth, Greece.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Royal College of Psychiatrists)

DOI

10.1192/bji.2017.31

PMID

30747163

PMCID

PMC6357520

Abstract

Since 2009, Greece has experienced a long-lasting socioeconomic crisis that has had substantial consequences on the health and mental health of the population. Unemployment, financial hardship and income loss constitute the hallmarks of the socioeconomic landscape. Consequently, a substantial decline in health and mental health has been documented. Converging evidence corroborates a deterioration of self-rated health, an alarming rise in suicide rates and a gradual increase in the prevalence of major depression. Concomitantly, the healthcare system is on the verge of collapse and the mental healthcare system is incapable of addressing the emerging needs. Therefore, a multifaceted and concerted effort is urgently needed to mitigate the mental health effects of the recession.

Language: en