Dromokaition Psychiatric Hospital of Athens: institution's historical path and timeless evolution of the main nosografical and psychopathological concepts

Dromokaition psychiatric hospital opened its doors in 1887, following the donation made by Zorzis Dromokaitis from the island of Chios. Dromokaition was unique, as it was the first Psychiatric Hospital in Athens, admitting patients from every part of the country. In this thesis the long service of the institution is highlighted through the different historical periods the country went through. The chronicle of its foundation, the development of its inner structure and the medical and organizational influences which it received, along the way are also presented. The therapeutic methods used during the first decades of its operation, reflected the corresponding European standards of the time. As a model institution from its foundation, it followed closely the prevailing European guidelines, throughout its historical path, either as an independent institution or as an integrated one within the National Health Service. The purpose of the study is the elevation of the physiognomy of users and primary diagnoses for a long time in Dromokaition but also the picture of possible variations of the patients between the two institutions, Dromokaition and Eginition. Finally, the enrichment of our knowledge of the spectrum of mental illness in Greece is another of our target. With respect to our conclusions we noted the key-role of the doctor-manager in the institute, the role of hereditary vulnerability but also the impact of the institutional and therapeutic limits. Finally, we observed the correlation between admissions and socioeconomic life, era, age, profession, marital status and sex.Το Δρομοκαΐτειο Ψυχιατρικό Νοσοκομείο λειτούργησε το 1887, όντας το πρώτο Ψυχιατρείο στην Αθήνα, κατόπιν δωρεάς του Χιώτη Ζωρζή Δρομοκαΐτη και δεχόταν ασθενείς από όλη την Ελλάδα. Στην παρούσα διατριβή παρουσιάζεται η ανάδειξη της μακρόχρονης λειτουργίας του ιδρύματος στις διαφορετικές ιστορικές περιόδους, το χρονικό της ίδρυσής του, η εξέλιξη της εσωτερικής του δομής, οι επιστημονικές και οργανωτικές επιρροές που δέχτηκε. Οι θεραπευτικές μέθοδοι που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν κατά την έναρξη της λειτουργίας του καθώς και τα σύγχρονα θεραπευτικά μοντέλα αντικατοπτρίζουν την εικόνα ενός πρότυπου ιδρύματος παροχών ψυχικής υγείας, από της ιδρύσεώς του ως ίδρυμα ιδιωτικού Δικαίου, μέχρι την εισαγωγή του στο Ε.Σ.Υ. Ο σκοπός της μελέτης είναι η ανάδειξη της φυσιογνωμίας των χρηστών και των κύριων διαγνώσεων για μεγάλο χρονικό διάστημα. Επίσης, η εικόνα των πιθανών διαφοροποιήσεων των ασθενών μεταξύ των δύο ιδρυμάτων, του Δρομοκαΐτειου και του Αιγινήτειου. Τέλος, ο εμπλουτισμός των γνώσεών μας για το φάσμα των ψυχικών διαταραχών στον ελλαδικό χώρο. Όσον αφορά στα συμπεράσματά μας παρατηρήσαμε τον σημαντικό και καθοριστικό ρόλο του ιατρού-Διευθυντή στο Δρομοκαΐτειο καθώς και το ρόλο της κληρονομικής ευαλωτότητας, και των θεσμικών και θεραπευτικών ορίων. Ταυτόχρονα παρατηρήσαμε τη συσχέτιση των εισαγωγών των ασθενών σε συνάρτηση με την κοινωνικοοικονομική ζωή, την εποχή, την ηλικία, το επάγγελμα, την οικογενειακή κατάσταση και το φύλο

Dromokaition Psychiatric Hospital of Athens: from its establishment in 1887 to the era of deinstitutionalization

Dromokaition Psychiatric Hospital opened its doors in 1887, following the donation made by Zorzis Dromokaitis from the island of Chios. Private donations and all forms of charities had contributed to a large extent in the establishment of hospitals across Greece, during the late 19th and the early 20th century. Dromokaition was one of them but it was also unique, as it was the first psychiatric hospital in Athens, admitting patients from every part of the country. This paper aimed at highlighting the long service of the institution through the different historical periods the country went through. We present the chronicle of its foundation, the development of its inner structure, and the medical and organizational influences which it received, along the way. The therapeutic methods used during the first decades of its operation reflected the corresponding European standards of the time. As a model institution from its foundation, it followed closely the prevailing European guidelines, throughout its historical path, either as an independent institution or as an integrated one within the National Health Service