Benedetto Saraceno

Benedetto Saraceno is a psychiatrist also trained in public health. He has received Doctor Honoris Causa degree from New University of Lisbon and City University of Birmingham. He is Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatry, UK and of the Spanish Society of Neuropsychiatry. He has participated as senior scientist and adviser in Italian and international research projects on psychotropic drug utilization in general practice and psychiatric services evaluation. He has assisted in the reform of mental health services in South and Central American countries, including Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil, Chile and Cuba. For ten years, Dr Saraceno served as Head of the Laboratory of Epidemiology and Social Psychiatry at the “Mario Negri” Institute in Milan. In 1996 he was appointed Programme Manager of the WHO special programme Nations for Mental Health. In 2001 he has been the leader of the WHO World Health Report on Mental Health. Currently, Dr Saraceno is the WHO Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse.