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A Needs Survey among Patients in Leros Asylum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

N. Bouras*
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry, United Medical and Dental Schools, Guy's Hospital, London SE1 9RT
Y. Webb
Affiliation:
Research Unit, Royal College of Psychiatrists, 17 Belgrave Square, London SW1X 8PG
P. Clifford
Affiliation:
Department of Health
Y. Papadatos
Affiliation:
Centre for Mental Health, Athens, Greece
M. Zouni
Affiliation:
Centre for Mental Health, 58 Notara Street, Athens 10683, Greece
*
Correspondence

Abstract

The recent exposure of the plight of inmates living in poor conditions at the state asylum on the Greek island of Leros has caused public and professional outrage. If Greece is to avoid mistakes made by other countries, the plans for rehabilitating the patients and closing the hospital should from the outset include identification of the precise needs of patients for support and care. This survey of the patients' characteristics and needs for care found that most patients had no outside friends or relatives, and most were unable to perform basic daily skills. They shared many basic characteristics, however, with a large sample of the long-stay population in the UK, and 25% were thought to be able to live independently.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © 1992 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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