First Greek National Mental Health Survey Found 14% Had Psychiatric Disorders, With 2% Using Cannabis Monthly | Research

The takeaway

The first nationally representative Greek mental health survey found 14% had clinically significant psychiatric morbidity, 2% used cannabis monthly, and common mental disorders were frequently undertreated and associated with lower quality of life.

Read this if you are interested in population-level mental health and substance use patterns.

14% psychiatric morbidity with 2% monthly cannabis use in Greece

What the researchers found

A survey of 4,894 Greeks found 14% had clinically significant psychiatric morbidity (17% females, 11% males). Most common disorders were generalized anxiety (4.1%), depression (2.9%), phobias (2.8%), mixed anxiety-depression (2.7%), panic (1.9%), and OCD (1.7%).

Substance use rates: harmful alcohol use 12.7%, regular smoking 39.6%, past-month cannabis use 2.1%. Psychiatric morbidity was associated with female gender, divorced/widowed status, low education, and unemployment. All substance use was more common in men. Mental disorders were often comorbid, undertreated, and associated with lower quality of life.

Why it matters

This was the first study to assess the full range of common mental disorders in a representative Greek sample, providing baseline data during the period leading into Greece's severe economic crisis. The combination of high psychiatric morbidity and undertreatment highlights a public health gap.

The numbers in context

4,894 participants. 14% psychiatric morbidity (F: 17%, M: 11%). GAD 4.1%, depression 2.9%, phobias 2.8%, mixed 2.7%. Cannabis use 2.1%. Smoking 39.6%. Harmful alcohol 12.7%. Associated: female gender, divorced, low education, unemployment.

How the study worked

Cross-sectional nationally representative survey. 4,894 individuals in private households (2009-2010). Revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CIS-R) for mental disorders. AUDIT for alcohol. Self-report for smoking and cannabis.

What this study cannot tell us

Cross-sectional design captures a single timepoint. The CIS-R measures symptoms in the past week, which may not reflect chronic conditions. Cannabis and drug use may be underreported. The survey was conducted as economic crisis was beginning, potentially affecting results. Household sampling misses homeless and institutionalized populations.

How to read the evidence

Large nationally representative survey with validated instruments; moderate evidence for prevalence estimates.

When this study was published

Published in 2013 (data from 2009-2010). Greek mental health has been significantly impacted by the subsequent economic crisis.

The bigger picture

This survey established mental health baselines just before the Greek economic crisis intensified. The 39.6% smoking rate, among the highest in Europe, and the undertreatment of mental disorders together suggest a population with significant unmet mental health needs, potentially exacerbated by subsequent economic hardship.

Questions still open

Did the economic crisis worsen these mental health rates? Why is cannabis use so low in Greece compared to other European countries? Would increased mental health treatment capacity reduce substance use? Has the undertreated mental disorder burden changed since 2010?

Common questions

How common is cannabis use in Greece?

Only 2.1% of the Greek population reported using cannabis in the past month, which is lower than many other European countries. This may reflect cultural attitudes, legal enforcement, or underreporting. By contrast, smoking (39.6%) and harmful alcohol use (12.7%) were much more prevalent.

Are mental health disorders being adequately treated in Greece?

No. The survey found that common mental disorders were frequently undertreated. This is particularly concerning because 14% of the population had clinically significant psychiatric morbidity, these disorders were often comorbid (multiple conditions in the same person), and they were associated with significantly lower quality of life.

Read the original research

Prevalence and sociodemographic associations of common mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of the general population of Greece.

BMC psychiatry, 13, 163

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Skapinakis, Petros; Bellos, Stefanos; Koupidis, Sotirios; Grammatikopoulos, Ilias; Theodorakis, Pavlos N; Mavreas, Venetsanos. (2013). Prevalence and sociodemographic associations of common mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of the general population of Greece.. BMC psychiatry, 13, 163. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-13-163