Professor Panayiotis Sakellaropoulos, is one of the most important figures in the field of social psychiatry and child psychiatry, also a former member of the Board of Directors of KETHEA. As a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, member of the International Psychoanalytic Association, founding member of the Hellenic Psychoanalytical Society, the Hellenic Society of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, the Mental Health Institute for Children and Adults and the Society of Social Psychiatry and Mental Health, he dedicated on the dehospitalisation and social reentry of chronic mental health patients.
In light of the recent planning and development of seven psychodiagnostic centers by KETHEA providing services to drug addicts with serious mental health problems aiming at their social reintegration, the scientific journal Exartisis presents an interview from Prof. Salellaropoulos on his views about the common goals and associations of both systems, the full recovery drug treatment programs and programs of social psychiatry.
This decision is by no means taken at random. Instead, the socioeconomic symptoms of current European crisis and the subsequent disarray of social structures in this country along with the increasing pressure on adopting malpractices that have been negatively evaluated in the past, for leading full recovery and social psychiatry at a fringe while reinforcing disassociation, social exclusion and polarization.
At this critical point, reporting on the work of Prof. Sakellaropoulos works at least as an opportunity to remind all of us of the right of every human being to be socially included, of their right for education and work.
In order to present as fully as possible his work, we decided to combine the questions raised by the journal with the relevant speech given by the Ass. Professor of Social Work, Charalampos Poulopoulos, former KETHEA Director, which was given as part of a festive celebration to Prof. Sakellaropoulos work and contribution hosted at Ardittos Hall in Mets.
In this journal issue, we further present special issues that drug addicts usually confront, such as mental health issues and the aspect of transgender while we illustrate a study over the efficacy of drug free treatment programs.
All reports on the above issues are expected to generate a fruitful scientific discourse on adopting policies for social and labor integration against all prejudice and stigma that reinforce phenomena of social exclusion, polarization and unemployment
Anna Tsiboukli, Vice Editor
