A report by the Greek Ombudsman has found serious gaps in mental health services for adolescents aged 14 to 18. The shortages are particularly severe for those aged 16 to 18, the age group that accounts for most adolescents with mental health conditions requiring hospitalisation.
Child and adolescent psychiatric units face shortages of medical, nursing, scientific and administrative staff. In Attica, there is only one inpatient unit, at Sismanogleio Hospital, with just 10 beds.
Across Greece, there are only 69 psychiatric beds for minors. As a result, some minors are admitted by prosecutorial order to adult psychiatric facilities, including Dromokaiteio Hospital.
Hospitalising children in adult psychiatric units violates their rights, as appropriate conditions for their care cannot be ensured.
The Ombudsman notes that hospitalising children in adult psychiatric units violates their rights because appropriate conditions for their care cannot be ensured.
The Greek Ombudsman called on the Ministry of Health “to ensure the substantive and comprehensive handling of the serious understaffing and the resulting deterioration of public mental health services for children and adolescents.”
Among its recommendations, the Ombudsman calls for mapping existing needs, hiring staff according to the needs of each unit and providing adequate incentives to fill vacant positions, particularly for child and adolescent psychiatrists, as recruitment processes often fail to attract applicants.
Source: News 247
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