US and Hellenic Psychiatry meet in Greece – September 2018
In September 2018 the Hellenic American Psychiatric Association (HAPA) participated in the 83rd Thessaloniki International Fair in Greece. With the US as the Expo’s featured nation, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) provided HAPA educational materials to battle stigma and raise the profile of mental health in a region beset by economic and refugee crises. Represented by former APA Treasurer and HAPA founder Maria Lymberis, and HAPA President and district branch president-elect Philip Candilis, HAPA’s international members joined to host the US Ambassador to Greece, Greek and US political figures, and members of public and academic organizations. Alongside major corporations from Coca-Cola to Google, HAPA set up a booth focused on future educational and collaborative ventures with public, academic, and forensic agencies.
Founded in May 15, 1999, HAPA provides a professional home for Greek-American, Greek, and US psychiatrists as well as psychiatrists throughout the Greek Diaspora. Organized for educational, scientific and charitable purposes in the public interest, HAPA connects philhellenes with US and Greek psychiatry and their international goals. Meeting annually at 6:00-8:00pm on the Tuesday of the APA Annual meeting. HAPA provides a forum for psychiatrists to present scientific work and establish networks for scientific exchange, facilitate professional development, and advocate for the mental health needs of individuals, families and communities.
With tens of thousands of visitors attending the Expo during its nine day course, HAPA president-elect Dr. George Karampoutakis and HAPA Secretary Dr. Georgios Pagkalos gave an interview to the American Hellenic Chamber of Commerce underlining the role of the HAPA in Greece and the reasons for its presence at the Thessaloniki International Fair. Accompanying blogs and media posts raised the profile of mental health for corporate attendees, while rolling conversations with visitors raised awareness of the mental health consequences of natural disasters, namely the wildfires and earthquakes prevalent in Greece, and the educational needs of forensic and police agencies working to address LGBTQ and sexual health needs in the community. Significant contact with Aristotle University and the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) were hopeful signs of future collaborations in education and battling the stigma of mental illness.
The Greek psychiatric contingent represented HAPA at the inaugural reception – organized by the US Embassy and the American Hellenic Chamber of Commerce. Drs.Karampoutakis and Pagkalos, International Member and International Fellow of the APA respectively, were joined by HAPA Counselor Dr. Apostolos Tsiamis, for the keynote address by US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. The audience was a noteworthy gathering of Greek business, political and military leadership.
On September 16, following the Expo, the historic Athens War Museum in central Athens hosted HAPA’s first international conference. Chaired by Drs. Pagkalos and Tsiamis, the conference was welcomed by prominent members of the Greek health and educational systems, namely the President of the Athens Medical Association, Dr. George Patoulis, the Vice Dean of the University of Ioannina, Professor Minas Paschopoulos, and the President of the Greek Early Career Psychiatrists, Dr. Achilleas Oikonomou.
Speakers Maria Lymberis and Philip Candilis were joined by Dr. Karampoutakis and Dr. Anna Polyniki, HAPA Counselor and faculty of the University of Nicosia Medical School in Cyprus. Dr. Karampoutakis’ address exhorted mental health professionals to implement the common goals of the Hellenic, American, and Hellenic-American psychiatric community. Trauma, stigmatization, and the lack of economic resources are common challenges for all three communities, as they are world-wide, he said. Dr. Polyniki offered her university’s collaborative model for overcoming the Scylla and Charybdis of healing the sick and overcoming economic anemia.
Dr. Maria Lymberis’ s keynote offered a historical perspective noting the past difficulties in forming a Hellenic American Psychiatric organization and her own determined efforts over the last 20 years in establishing HAPA as an Affiliate of the APA. She credited the success of HAPA to the support and commitment of the devoted core of HAPA Board members who believed in the need for HAPA in an increasingly globalized world with pressing mental health needs. She exulted in the new energy of the Greek community and the efforts to collaborate meaningfully in ways that serve vulnerable groups. Dr. Candilis followed with the work of his colleagues in the refugee crisis over the past few years, building resilience among Greek humanitarian aid workers and their communities, and offering new research on the process of radicalization. He was clear that the crisis of displaced persons worldwide was a global emergency, not to be borne by countries on the front lines alone.
The conference closed with the documentary film of the Southern California Psychiatric Community, “The Art of Storytelling: The Human Experience of Being a Psychiatrist”. The film energized the audience with the narratives of psychiatrists inspired to join the profession. There followed an animated audience discussion about the concerns of Greek psychiatrists for the future of the profession and the critical importance of the know-how provided through international collaboration and research.
Participants renewed their commitment to attend the 20th Annual HAPA meeting on May 21st 2019 6:00 -8:00pm during the 175th APA Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA May 18th to May 22d 2019.
- Prof. Maria T. Lymberis, Founder and past President of the HAPA , George J. Karampoutakis, President-Elect of the HAPA, Georgios Pagkalos Secretary of the HAPA
- Prof. Philip Candilis, President, George J. Karampoutakis, President-Elect, Georgios Pagkalos, Secretary of the HAPA.
- The Honorable US Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic Mr. Geoffrey Pyatt and George J. Karampoutakis, President- Elect of the HAPA.
- Simos Anastasopoulos, President of the Hellenic - American Chamber of Commerce, George J. Karampoutakis President- Elect and Georgios Pagkalos, Secretary of the HAPA
- The Honorable US Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic Mr. Geoffrey Pyatt and Prof. Philip Candilis, President of the HAPA.
- Stathis Kefalifis, Governor of the AHEPA Hellas, Prof. Philip Candilis President and George J. Karampoutakis President-Elect of the HAPA
- Stathis Kefalifis, Governor of the AHEPA Hellas, George J. Karampoutakis President-Elect and Georgios Pagkalos, Secretary of the HAPA
- Prof. Philip Candilis President of HAPA and Stathis Kefalifis Governor of the AHEPA Hellas
- George J. Karampoutakis, President-Elect of the HAPA and Achilleas Oikonomou, Member of the HAPA and President of the Young Psychiatrists Sector of the Hellenic Psychiatric Association.
- Prof. Philip Candilis, President, George J. Karampoutaki, President-Elect, Georgios Pagkalos, Secretary, ApostolosTsiamis, Councilor, Athanasios Vidalis and Konstantinos Radis, Members of the HAPA.
- The Associate Professor of Psychiatry-Psychosexuality Dr. Loukas Athanasiadis of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and Member of the HAPA
- The famous Greek band Melisses stands for the Hellenic American Psychiatric Association, HAPA’s mission by recognizing the importance of Mental Health in well-being. We thank them for their presence only at our booth at the US Pavilion just before their concert.
- The Deputy Minister of Macedonia and Thrace Cathrine Notopoulou at the HAPA booth at the US Pavilion during the TIF 2018
- The Leader of the Opposition and President of New Democracy Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the US Pavilion and the HAPA booth during the TIF 2018
- The Leader of the Opposition and President of New Democracy Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the US Pavilion and the HAPA booth during the TIF 2018
- The Leader of the Opposition and President of New Democracy Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the US Pavilion and the HAPA booth during the TIF 2018
- The President of the Greek political party KIN.AL. Fofi Gennimata at the HAPA booth at the US Pavilion during the TIF 2018.
- The President of the Greek political party KIN.AL. Fofi Gennimata at the HAPA booth at the US Pavilion during the TIF 2018.
- Georgios Pagkalos and ApostolosTsiamis, Chairs of the 1st International HAPA Conference.
- Georgios Pagkalos, Chair of the 1st International HAPA Conference
- Achilleas Oikonomou, Member of the HAPA and President of the Young Psychiatrists Sector of the Hellenic Psychiatric Association
- George J. Karampoutakis President Elect of the HAPA
- George J. Karampoutakis President Elect of the HAPA
- Prof. Maria T. Lymberis, Founder and past President of the HAPA
- Prof. Maria T. Lymberis, Founder and past President of the HAPA
- Prof. Maria T. Lymberis, Founder and past President of the HAPA
- Philip Candilis President of the HAPA
- Philip Candilis President of the HAPA
- Anna Polynliki, Councilor of the HAPA
- Anna Polynliki, Councilor of the HAPA
- Prof. Philip Candilis, President of the HAPA and Anna Polyniki, Councilor of the HAPA
- HAPA Officers after the 1st International HAPA Conference