As part of the event, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) was recognized for its contribution to raising awareness among children, adolescents, and families of internet addiction and effective treatment for it.
SNF supported the creation of a Day Center at the Technological Educational Institute of Western Greece, University of Patras, in collaboration with the Observatory for Substance Abuse and Internet Addiction. The grant covers staff salaries for a social worker and a psychologist, with experience in the areas of detoxification and harmful behaviors, as well as the procurement of technological equipment for the Center. The Day Center is primarily aimed at adolescents, parents and teachers, with a focus on populations living in under-resourced areas of Achaia, offering free services.
Research data show that Western Greece suffers from a significant lack of psychological and psychiatric services for children and adolescents at the levels of both prevention and treatment. The Observatory for Substance Abuse and Internet Addiction aims to filling this deficit, with the support of a team of eminent scientists in the field of addiction prevention and treatment and in collaboration with other organizations including the Medical School at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, OKANA, and the Adolescent Health Unit.