Motivational and Adaptation Experiences of Returnees and Migrants to Cyprus: A Grounded Theory Study with Counselling Psychology Application and Practice Implications in Europe

This grounded theory study explored the existential lived experience of migrants and second-generation Greek-Cypriot returnees to Cyprus and implications for counselling psychology. It looked at their motivation to return/migrate, their encounter with the new world and desires to belong. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with four migrants and four returnees, recruited within the Cyprus Euroguidance employment service in three cities, Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca in Cyprus, E.U. All participants were in the process of seeking employment. Migrants and returnees faced intense dilemmas following relocation. Returnees’ motivations to return were influenced by childhood memories of visiting the country, desires for an improved economic and familial lifestyle, and the need to find a true sense of belonging. Migrants’ motivations included being married to a Cypriot, hoping for better economic prospects and living in a sunny environment. People experienced a cultural transition after choosing to put their ethnic identity in a different ethnic environment to the one where it was formed and in their attempts to find work, develop friendships, be accepted and find a home they experienced an unsettling reality. In Counselling psychology terms, the findings support other literature (Ward, Bochner, & Furnham, 2001) highlighting that migrants go through phases of adjustment, with cultural contact and acceptance by the host society, as well as financial independence being key factors. They described their experience as an outsider in a system dominated by nepotism and in a society new to them, that appeared to be suspicious of them. This transition lived by them was psychologically de-stabilising, characterised by stress, frustration, depression and isolation. Their commitment to find a way to belong was shown through their resilience. These findings are discussed with the application and practice of Counselling Psychology in mind

Counselling Psychology training in the United Kingdom for Greek students who completed their undergraduate training in Greece: themes when comparing the two different organisational settings

Counselling Psychology training is a very important aspect of the profession of counselling psychologists. In Europe there are countries that do not include such training in their educational system with the result that a lot of Psychology graduates must move to a different country in order to qualify as counselling psychologists. A number of students who completed their first degree in Greece have studied, and still are studying, counselling psychology at a doctoral level in the United Kingdom. The present study interviewed students that have completed their first degree in Greece and are currently studying Counselling Psychology at a British higher education institute. A thematic analysis was conducted and 4 main themes emerged: Professional Identity, transformative learning, research and training for research, and feelings. In conclusion, all the participants expressed ideas that their move to a British institute was a very good choice for both their training and their professional development

The relationship between time perception and emotional interference on autobiographical memories

Over the past three decades studies have investigated whether people are able to look back in time and perceive themselves from a field (first-person) or observer perspective. A major field of cognitive psychology looked at time perception and memory and depended on emotional factors. The objective of the current research was to investigate the relationship of time estimations and emotional interference on autobiographical memories and whether perception of the field/ observer is related to the emotional factor. Two studies were conducted. In study.1 (pilot), participants were asked to recall a positive, negative, or a neutral autobiographical memory dating three to six years prior to the study. In study.2, participants were exposed to all three emotional autobiographical memory conditions during the task. Finally, each participants was asked whether they could look back and choose if they could perceive themselves as first-person (field), or observer, or both in a given event. Results on both studies rejected the hypotheses and suggested no significant results. Participants showed no differences in their objective and subjective duration judgements of the original events and whether they perceive them to be first-person, observer, or even both. These findings suggests further study in this field is needed as under certain experimental methods, emotional interferences and time perception may have an impact on one’s autobiographical memory

Inflamed appendix: a diagnostic problem in children younger than 3 years of age

Background: Despite the fact that inflamed appendix is a common problem in every day medical practice, misdiagnosis occurs often in children younger than 3 years of age and can cause several serious complications. Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical signs, operative management and outcome of children younger than 3 years who underwent laparotomy for acute abdomen because of inflamed appendix. Diagnostic difficulties rising from the young age, were estimated carefully. Patients and Methods: Twenty-nine (29) medical records of children who underwent laparotomy, the last 6 years, were analyzed retrospectively. Preoperative clinical and laboratory findings were compared to intra-operative and histopathological data. Results: The main clinical symptom at the time of admission was diffused or localized in the right iliac fossa abdominal pain. Additional symptoms were present in acute cases. The radiologic and ultrasonographic data were specific in the cases of perforation. No postoperative complications have been recorded. Conclusions: The clinical presentation of inflamed appendix may be atypical and initial misdiagnosis is not so rare. The disease should be seriously considered, in any child presenting vomiting, abdominal tenderness and pain, mainly because of the increased morbidity and mortality in this age group

Serological survey of Chlamydia abortus in Greek dairy sheep flocks

Chlamydiosis due to Chlamydia abortus is one of the most common causes of abortion in small ruminant flocks worldwide. Although the causative agent is zoonotic, chlamydiosis is not a reportable disease. There is lack of recent data concerning sheep chlamydiosis in Greece.In the current study, a serological investigation for Chlamydia abortus was conducted. Blood samples from 26 randomly selected sheep flocks not vaccinated against chlamydiosis were collected. From each flock, 15 to 20 blood samples were taken from adult female sheep. In total 464 blood samples were examined. One hundred and six samples were positive (22.8%), while 24 samples (5.24%) were doubtful.  Moreover, at farm level, in 18 out of the total number of 26 farms, at least one positive animal was detected (69.2%).Chlamydiosis is considered a highly likely cause of sheep abortion in Greece. Therefore, vaccination of the sheep flocks is strongly recommended for the prevention and control of the disease.

Strategic place marketing and place branding: 15 years of mega-events in Lisbon

Urban tourism is a relatively recent phenomenon but is now being embraced by most European cities, which are using substantial funds to compete for visitors, thus generating new infrastructures for this process. Cities so as to differentiate themselves from their competitors, attempt to manage their image by strategic place marketing approach. This paper explores the implications and significance of being a host city of mega events. The purpose is to identify the perception of Lisbon’s identity and the formation of its image as a competitive tourism destination

Strategic place marketing and place branding: 15 years of mega-events in Lisbon

Urban tourism is a relatively recent phenomenon but is now being embraced by most European cities, which are using substantial funds to compete for visitors, thus generating new infrastructures for this process. Cities so as to differentiate themselves from their competitors, attempt to manage their image by strategic place marketing approach. This paper explores the implications and significance of being a host city of mega events. The purpose is to identify the perception of Lisbon’s identity and the formation of its image as a competitive tourism destination

Cardiovascular risk factors among 3712 Greek seafarers

Background: Global concern on seafarers’ health and its potential cost is widely evident across the shipping industry. Seafarers are at increased cardiovascular risk since it is common to have risk factors associated with that risk such as hyperlipidaemia, obesity and smoking. The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), i.e. hyperlipidaemia, smoking and obesity, in Greek seafarers.Materials and methods: During pre-embarkation medical examination, seafarers undergo an interview with a physician, physical examination and laboratory tests. The parameters studied included hyperlipidaemia, identified as low density lipoprotein > 150 mg/dL, tobacco use or severe obesity, as defined by body mass index > 35 kg/m2.Results: A total of 3712 seafarers have been examined. Seafarers had overall rates of 3% hyperlipidaemia, 4% tobacco use and 0.2% severe obesity, with similar distributions in all age groups. Our study shows that Greek seafarers have lower risk for CVD, as low rates of obesity, tobacco use, and hyperlipidaemia are observed. The related literature is discussed. Unhealthy eating patterns are the rule and contribute to CVD. Shipping management could improve diet on board; however, smoking falls rather under individual control. Conclusions: We conclude that, despite the low rates of hyperlipidaemia, smoking and obesity among Greek seafarers compared to other nations, campaigns for promoting awareness of the phenomenon and on the potential health impact of these conditions should be promoted

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Rate after-effects fail to transfer cross-modally: evidence for distributed sensory timing mechanisms

Accurate time perception is critical for a number of human behaviours, such as understanding speech and the appreciation of music. However, it remains unresolved whether sensory time perception is mediated by a central timing component regulating all senses, or by a set of distributed mechanisms, each dedicated to a single sensory modality and operating in a largely independent manner. To address this issue, we conducted a range of unimodal and cross-modal rate adaptation experiments, in order to establish the degree of specificity of classical after- effects of sensory adaptation. Adapting to a fast rate of sensory stimulation typically makes a moderate rate appear slower (repulsive after-effect), and vice versa. A central timing hypothesis predicts general transfer of adaptation effects across modalities, whilst distributed mechanisms predict a high degree of sensory selectivity. Rate perception was quantified by a method of temporal reproduction across all combinations of visual, auditory and tactile senses. Robust repulsive after-effects were observed in all unimodal rate conditions, but were not observed for any cross-modal pairings. Our results show that sensory timing abilities are adaptable but, crucially, that this change is modality-specific - an outcome that is consistent with a distributed sensory timing hypothesis