Leros psychiatric history documented in new book by Piet Van Der Klis

The recently released book ‘Letters from Leros and Co-guides’ (Γράμματα από τη Λέρο και Συν οδηγοί) by Piet Van Der Klis provides a historical account of the psychiatric transformation in Leros, Greece. Edited by Giannis Kakoulas and Dimitris Ploupidis and published by Periplaneta, the work is based on the personal correspondence of Van Der Klis.

Van Der Klis represented a Dutch mission tasked with the psychiatric reform of Leros. His letters to authorities in the Netherlands detail the immense challenges faced by nursing staff and the dire conditions within the Leros State Hospital. The accounts describe patients living in extreme neglect, lacking hygiene, clothing, and basic human solidarity.

The book documents the evolution of the Greek mental health system from the post-World War II and Civil War era—characterized by overcrowded facilities and scarce resources—to the critical reforms that began in the 1990s.