Fear of COVID-19, anxiety, depression and suicide among elderly patients with chronic physical or mental diseases

Older age renders individuals vulnerable during public emergency crises. Considering that older adults are a highly heterogeneous and continuously growing demographic subgroup, this study aimed to assess the mental health impact of COVID-19 on two groups of older patients: a group of chronic physical disease and a group of chronic mental disease. A total of 102 patients completed the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, the Brief Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and several questions regarding demographic characteristics. Suicidality was assessed by the 9th item of the PHQ-9. According to the results, older chronic disease patients showed higher levels of fear, whereas anxiety and depressive symptoms were present mainly in the group of older psychiatric patients. Suicidality was reported from a subtotal of 25.4% that was composed of 7.8% chronic disease patients and 17.6% psychiatric patients. Chronic physical disease and higher anxiety predicted more severe COVID-19-related fear

PERITRAUMATIC DISTRESS INVENTORY IN THE COURSE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The context of the present study was the COVID-19 pandemic, which has become an unprecedented global health emergency inducing a considerable degree of uncertainty, fear, concern, and worry. Peritraumatic reactions may contribute to the development of Acute Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the prediction of full PTSD. The aim of this study was to validate the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI) in a Greek sample during the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and explore its association with PTSD as assessed by PTSD-8. A total of 2,827 patients completed the PDI along with validated scales measuring post-traumatic, anxiety and depressive symptoms. CFA confirmed both the unifactorial model, with modest fit, and the bifactorial model of PDI with acceptable fit in the Greek sample. The three- and the four-factor models were not supported. Overall, the scale demonstrated good psychometric properties in the Greek population and can be considered a useful instrument to assess elevated stress during traumatic crises.

Assessing test anxiety and resilience among Greek adolescents during COVID-19 pandemic

The aim of the present study was to explore the impact of school year’s extension due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) by addressing test anxiety and by studying the coping strategies adolescents used to overcome it. For the majority of the adolescents the final exams can be a powerful source of stress, since the entrance examinations are required for admission into higher education and further reflect the transition to adulthood. The sample consisted of 67 High School students and the data collection was conducted online due to the imposed measures by the Greek government. Results showed normal or average levels of test anxiety with low self-esteem and fear of a family member contracting the virus identified as significant predictors. Students who participated in the research pointed teachers as the main source of pressure in school exams. Gender differences regarding social media engagement and online video gaming were also detected. Resilience was equally as high among genders [t(63) = 858, p =.324] and the correlation between test anxiety and resilience did not produce a statistically significant result (r = -.178, p = .155)

European health professionals’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about perinatal depression and body image concerns

Objective: Health professionals who work with women in pregnancy and postpartum are rarely educated in psychosocial aspects of body image and mental health, despite this being a time of significant bodily change for women. This study presents the results of a needs assessment to determine the extent, nature, and format of health professional education in relation to body image and perinatal mental health. Method: Participants were N = 257 health professionals (89% female) from 16 European countries, recruited through the authors professional networks, who completed an online survey about their existing knowledge and experience, and preferences for further education. Results: Current knowledge about body image was low, and open-ended comments indicated that body image was integrated into pregnancy and postpartum care within the context of encouraging weight loss. Health professionals saw opportunities for the inclusion of conversations about body image and mental health within their clinical care and a need for training about ‘what to say’ to mothers, as well as recommendations for diagnostic and referral pathways, and more general information about postpartum body image and mental health that could inform their practice. Discussion: This research indicates the need for health professional education in relation to perinatal body image and mental health.peer-reviewe

Social Robots in Special Education: A Systematic Review

In recent years, social robots have become part of a variety of human activities, especially in applications involving children, e.g., entertainment, education, companionship. The interest of this work lies in the interaction of social robots with children in the field of special education. This paper seeks to present a systematic review of the use of robots in special education, with the ultimate goal of highlighting the degree of integration of robots in this field worldwide. This work aims to explore the technologies of robots that are applied according to the impairment type of children. The study showed a large number of attempts to apply social robots to the special education of children with various impairments, especially in recent years, as well as a wide variety of social robots from the market involved in such activities. The main conclusion of this work is the finding that the specific field of application of social robots is at the first development step; however, it is expected to be of great concern to the research community in the coming years