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This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it.

SO161

Psychiatric reform in Greece (1945–2025): a legal and historical review

PSYCHIATRIC REFORM IN GREECE(1945-2025): A LEGISLATIVE AND HISTORICAL REVIEW

Four key laws enacted in Greece since 1983 have strengthened community-based mental health services and patient rights, but regional inequalities, staffing and resource shortages, and rising involuntary admissions persist.

This narrative review aims to examine the evolution of psychiatric reform in Greece from the postwar period to 2025, focusing on deinstitutionalization efforts and the integration of mental health care into the National Health System. International and Greek literature was searched in the PUBMED, IATROTEK, SCOPUS, and GOOGLE SCHOLAR databases using appropriate keywords, with data collection lasting five months. The reform was examined across four distinct legislative phases: Laws 1397/1983, 2071/1992, 2716/1999, and 5129/2024. A SWOT analysis conducted for each phase identified strengths including the integration of mental health care into the National Health System, the establishment of multidisciplinary teams, the completion of deinstitutionalization, the protection of patient rights, and, under the latest law, the introduction of digital psychiatry and the establishment of the National Mental Health Network. Weaknesses and threats included institutionalization and stigma, a lack of strategic planning, inadequate staffing and infrastructure, inequalities in regional coverage, bureaucratic delays, the economic crisis, insufficient funding, workforce burnout, and an increase in involuntary admissions. Opportunities included European Union funding, the expansion of community-based care and telepsychiatry, and public–private sector collaboration. The poster reports that, despite the progress achieved, challenges persist, including the closure of psychiatric hospitals, the expansion of community-based units, ongoing resource and workforce shortages, geographical inequalities in service provision, high rates of involuntary admission, and heavy reliance on family support. In conclusion, the authors emphasize that mental disorders are not solely biological phenomena but are influenced by social factors and the country's political situation; they call for sustained policies focused on human rights and social reintegration, alongside stronger collaboration among stakeholders.

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