Health situation grim as Greece weathers economic crisis

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDOct 11 2011

Researchers warn that the health of people in Greece could be in danger in the wake of the financial crisis. Writing in The Lancet, they said cuts to hospitals' budgets meant they were being overstretched.

More people were reporting “bad health” and HIV infections were on the increase, the authors warned. While public health experts said the picture was “concerning” they said it could take several years for the true health implications to fully emerge. However, there is no data on the actual health of Greek citizens. Dr Alexander Kentikelenis, of the University of Cambridge, said, “Many implications will take longer to show. In the Great Depression it took five-plus years for the effects to show in health in the US.”

Greece has been at the centre of the economic turmoil in Europe and researchers say the austerity measures have taken a toll on health services. Authors write, “There were about 40% cuts in hospital budgets, understaffing, reported occasional shortage of medical supplies, and bribes given to medical staff to jump queues in overstretched hospitals.” At the same time there was a 24% increase in public hospital admissions, partly fuelled by fewer patients using private hospitals. An analysis of data from EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, comparing 2007 and 2009, showed a 15% increase in people not going to a doctor or dentist, mostly due “to long waiting times”.

The researchers said, “We noted a significant rise [14%] in the prevalence of people reporting that their health was bad or very bad.” They also reported a decline in the number of people eligible for sickness benefit. New infections of HIV were expected to increase by 52% in 2011, with half due to intravenous drug use. Their report concludes, “Ordinary people are paying the ultimate price: losing access to care and preventative services. Greater attention to health and healthcare access is needed.”

In the United States, the economic downturn is also taking a toll on the mental health of many Americans.  One recent study found that suicide rates generally rise and fall depending on the economy.

Depression and anxiety have also increased dramatically, according to experts. “When people began to get anxious or were worried about losing their jobs, it was clear there was an increased number of individuals that presented with anxiety and depression,” said Dr. Mark Rapaport, chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University in Atlanta.

Rapaport also said that difficult economic circumstances have made it difficult for people to get the care they need. “One reason is that individuals are losing their health insurance and another one is the cost of health insurance is increasing radically, so a lot of people are electing to have care with very high deductibles, so they are unable or unwilling to seek care,” he said. He added, “In times of stress, there are many problems so people tend to use coping strategies like using alcohol and drugs.”