Groups who were already facing numerous vulnerability factors before the crisis, have seen a reduction in or a termination of social safety nets and networks which provide them with basic help. Families unravel under the weight of a crisis that is as much human as it is financial. Single parent families, large rural families and the families of economic migrants and unskilled workers are the most affected.
Families without children face lower extreme poverty rates than families with children, but families with three children seem to be in a better position than those with one or two.
Stress, insecurity and disappointment among the issues most commonly cited, by people when asked about their mental health situation. Unmet basic needs such as physical health, housing, food, education and occupation tend to lead to a range of depressive feelings, anxiety, insomnia, loss of hope, fear and increased stress levels.
Mental Health and Migration
One major direct consequence of the refugee crisis is a cross-cutting deterioration of the psychological and mental health condition of migrants stranded in Greece. People live in limbo and uncertainty, they feel de-motivated, and their morale is low. Overcrowding, inadequate and insufficient living conditions, lack of protection contribute to deterioration of people’s mental health. The absence of dignified approaches and lack of adequate information provision about the future of persons in the centers all compound a difficult situation and generate severe distressful reactions.
OPEN MINDS
Open Minds aims to address the mental health problems of vulnerable populations, both migrants and refugees and nationals living in poverty, by providing them with access to mental and social support and ensuring that they can access their basic human rights. This objective was achieved through the provision of necessary mental health and psychosocial support services, the empowerment of public officials in the field of mental health and data collection, as well as the collection of testimonies highlighting the weaknesses of the national mental health service delivery system in Greece.