Sensitizing children to the social and emotional mechanisms involved in racism : a program evaluation

This paper describes and discusses the results of an intervention aiming to sensitize children to the social and emotional processes involved in racism. The intervention was applied and evaluated in 10 Greek elementary schools. The goals and the intervention methods of the program modules are briefly outlined and the results of the program evaluation are elaborated and discussed. Two-hundred students participated in the program and 180 took part in the pre-and-post-testing which assessed their ability to identify emotions associated with prejudice, discrimination and stereotypical thinking; to understand similarities and differences between people; and to develop perspective taking and empathic skills in relation to diverse others. Results indicate gains in all three areas of assessment although the increased ability to identify similarities between people can also be attributed to age/grade effects. The implications of the findings are discussed with regard to antiracism intervention methods and evaluation strategies.peer-reviewe

Explorations of subjective wellbeing and character strengths among a Greek university student sample

The present study brought together and examined two related, but distinct, concepts rooted in positive psychology, namely subjective wellbeing (SWB) and character strengths. It sought to assess the impact of a number of demographic and other sociological and psychological factors, including physical and mental health, on emerging adults’ outlook on life. This study also set out to validate and investigate the levels of wellbeing and character strengths in the context of a more collective, Mediterranean culture; that of Greece. Three hundred and twelve male and female students from two Greek Universities participated in the study, which consisted of a questionnaire battery, including measures of subjective wellbeing, character strengths and mental and physical health. Youths were found to have a positive outlook on life. Wisdom, courage and transcendence appeared to be the most salient among their character strengths, since character strengths were each highly and positively correlated with the wellbeing subscales of environmental mastery, purpose in life and self-acceptance. Good physical and mental health were positively related to, and reliably predicted different aspects of, both wellbeing and character strengths; nevertheless, mental health appeared to affect and predict more aspects of wellbeing and character strengths than physical health. The significance of the above findings for the field of positive psychology is discussed

Forging partnerships for mental health: The case of a prefecture in crisis ravaged Greece

Public health and in particular mental health have been severely affected by the multitude of socioeconomic crises experienced by people in Greece. The severe austerity programmes, have reduced access to health services and increased demand for publically funded health care. This paper presents a case study focusing on the impact of these measures on the lives of mental health providers in one prefecture in Crete. Focus group methodology was applied and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. Analyses revealed three superordinate themes that converge at many levels and appear to be going counter to the circumstances: firstly, 'forging partnerships for mental health'; secondly, 'extending our reach'; and thirdly 'transformations in professional identity through praxis'. These themes are discussed using the words of the participants and the relevant literature. © 2013 © 2013 Taylor & Francis

Neoliberalism (not only) in Greece and its repercussions in psychology: new working regimes, new psychologists

»Neoliberalismus« zielt keinesfalls nur auf ökonomische Veränderungen in einem Land ab – auch wenn die neo-liberalen, drakonischen »Strukturanpassungen« Griechenlands eine keinesfalls zu leugnende Tatsache sind. Prekarität & Austerität – als »Superwaffen« des Neoliberalismus - sind dabei nicht nur »Folgen« solcher Strukturanpassungen, sondern auch eigenständige politische Mittel hin zu einer grundlegenden Rekonfiguration unserer Vorstellungen von Gesellschaftlichkeit, die alle Aspekte der gesellschaftlichen Organisation miteinbezieht: Institutionen, Staat, Arbeit, Individuen, Bedürfnisse, Beziehungen, Rechte etc. Wie Gesellschaft aussieht bzw. auszusehen hat, wird dabei, soll von neuem konfiguriert werden. Die neo-liberale Transformation auch der griechischen Gesellschaft bezog sich nicht nur auf die Arbeitsbedingungen (was ja mit Austerität & Prekarität gemeint sein mag); die NGOisierung der (psychologischen) Arbeit hat auch neue Arbeitsräume geschaffen, neue Arbeitsinhalte und auch neue Arbeitssubjekte. NGOisierung meint dabei nicht die Ersetzung von Öffentlichem durch Privates, sondern die Schaffung eines neuen Regimes von Beziehungen zwischen öffentlich und privat. NGOisierung charakterisiert mehr eine »Methodologie«, eine Technologie, die die Funktionen aller teilnehmenden Akteure und Konstituenten transformiert, d. h. die NGOs selbst, den Staat und die individuellen Subjekte und ihre Beziehungen etc. Die neuen umkämpften Praxen und neuen Arbeitsregime fordern und erschaffen ihrerseits neue Subjektivitäten und neue Praxisformen. Die Arbeit in einer NGO bedeutet für eine(n) jung(en) sozialwissenschaftliche(n) AbsolventIn nicht nur prekäre Arbeit; sie beinhaltet auch Veränderungen innerhalb des psychosozialen Rahmens der Arbeit, die bezüglich der Anforderungen und Möglichkeiten für die Subjekte Ähnlichkeiten mit high-tech Arbeitsplätzen aufweisen, z. B. Anwendung von ständig aktualisiertem Wissen, aber auch kontinuierliches Lernen für und während der Arbeit; Aspekte von Forschungstätigkeit und Wissensproduktion etc. Darüber hinaus werden zunehmend auch Tätigkeiten erwartet, die lediglich zur Reproduktion des Arbeitsplatzes beitragen, wie z. B. »manageriale« Aufgaben oder Akquirierung von funds. In einem weiteren Schritt werden wir einen historischen Sprung nach vorn machen um unsere bisherigen Reflexionen zu aktualisieren. Hierzu werden wir kurz und exemplarisch aus einer explorativen Studie mit jungen SchulpsychologInnen während der »Krise« berichten, in der die jungen KollegInnen über ihre Erfahrungen mit vielfältigen Feldern von Prekarität berichten. Hierbei kann deutlicher werden, dass und wie sich die NGOisierung der Arbeit mit ihrer kolonialen Logik auf die Gesellschaft ausbreitet.»Neoliberalism« is doing much more than transforming the »economies« of nations around the world. In fact, in Greece precarity and austerity have ensued soon after the draconian neo-liberal adjustments. Such impacts are not only articulations or outgrowths of particular policies but also tools in the imposition of a fundamental reconfiguration of our »social imagination« impacting all aspects of society’s organization: institutions, organization of labor, individuals, needs, rights, etc. The entire scheme of what and how society ought to look like has been reconfigurated from anew. The neo-liberal transformation of Greek society has not only affected working conditions (»precarity & austerity«), but it has also created new spaces, new contents and new worker-subjects which come about through the «NGOisation” of psychological work. NGOisation should not to be construed as a substitute for the public by the private, but as the creation of a new regime of relationships between public and private. The whole process of NGOisation has to be grasped more as a »methodology« changing and transforming the functions of all of its contributors, actors, constituents; that is, the NGOs themselves, the state, and the subjects who act under its auspices. The contested practices and the new work regimes, in turn, demand and produce new subjectivities and new forms of social practice. Working in NGOs as a young social scientist is not only precarious; it also engenders changes and transformations within psychosocial settings where the work takes place. The induced changes in the nature of the work and how it is organized is rendered similar to those of high-tech settings. This includes traditional application of cutting-edge knowledge, well-honed abilities, and reflective practice, along with a concomitant and continuous production of knowledge, and learning. Moreover, these jobs require that the young social scientists maintain their keep; in essence, bringing in funds and grants that will allow them to draw a salary. Hence, these kinds of jobs are usually accompanied by increased demands and certainly »new forms« of worker subjectivity. In a second step we will make a historical step forward and update our previous reflections presenting findings from our explorative qualitative inquiry focusing on psychology’s influx in schools in Greece during the »crisis«. We asked young psychologists to describe their work, their responsibilities, and sense of professional identity during their short tenure in the schools. Discussion focuses on issues of austerity, professional precarity, and the nuances of how »evaluation« and »support« services are implicated and, in turn, legitimize »psychologizing« practices. By this it maybe become more clear that and how the NGOisation of labor with its colonial logic expands more and more towards society

Patients with multiple sclerosis in psychotherapy: Processes of meaning making and self transformation

BackgroundRecent empirical literature on autoimmune diseases has focused extensively on the implementation and evaluation of psychosocial interventions. Psychotherapy and counselling processes for multiple sclerosis (MS) have gained special attention given the cognitive and behavioral dimensions of the symptoms as well as their unpredictable course. The current study aims to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning making processes for persons with MS (PwMS) who are in psychotherapy treatment.MethodThe sample of this study consisted of ten PwMS who described their experience of the illness and of psychotherapy of choice through semi-structured interviews. Data collection and analysis adhered to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis guidelines.ResultsThe results revealed that PwMS struggled with understanding the initial symptoms, contemplated taking medication, and related symptom development to psychological factors such as depression. Participants were preoccupied with disability representations and questioned the trustworthiness of their bodies. They worked towards integrating the illness into their identity and described how psychotherapy encouraged psychological agency whilst feeling supported and "accepted".ConclusionsPsychotherapy contributes to the processes of shaping participants' life worlds, offering a space to self-organize and reflect within genuine therapeutic relationships

Lay causal beliefs about PTSD and cultural correlates in five countries

Background To date, cultural clinical research has primarily focused on differences between ethnic groups when investigating causal beliefs about mental disorders. While individual as well as contextual factors are considered important for gaining a better understanding of cultural influences, research on causal beliefs about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cultural correlates in laypersons is scarce. Objective This study aimed at gaining a better understanding of the association between causal beliefs about PTSD and cultural aspects, as well as other contextual and individual correlates of causal beliefs. Method We conducted a cross-sectional, vignette-based online survey with 737 laypersons from Mexico, Ecuador, Germany, Greece, and Russia. Participants completed the revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) and reported several cultural and sociodemographic (e.g. country of residence, gender, personal values) as well as mental health–related variables (e.g. PTSD symptoms, previous seeking of help). Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify subgroups of individuals expressing similar causal beliefs for PTSD. Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyse covariates of class membership. Results LCA resulted in a three-class solution of casual beliefs: a traumatic event–focused class (41.1%); an intrapersonal causes class (40.1%); and a multiple causes class (18.0%). Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed country of residence, gender, personal value of security, PTSD symptoms, and mental health literacy as significant covariates of class membership. Conclusions Integrating a more diverse concept of culture into cultural clinical research can be a valuable addition to group comparisons based on nationality or ethnicity. Cultural clinical research needs to move towards a more integrated approach that accounts for the complexity of culture. Including additional contextual and sociodemographic factors can help to reach a more accurate understanding of the cultural influences on the development of causal beliefs and mental health

Do Gender and Country of Residence Matter? A Mixed Methods Study on Lay Causal Beliefs about PTSD

Laypersons’ causal beliefs about mental disorders can differ considerably from medical or psychosocial clinicians’ models as they are shaped by social and cultural context and by personal experiences. This study aimed at identifying differences in causal beliefs about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by country and gender. A cross-sectional, vignette-based online survey was conducted with 737 participants from Germany, Greece, Ecuador, Mexico, and Russia. Participants were presented with a short unlabeled case vignette describing a person with symptoms of PTSD. Causal beliefs were assessed using an open-ended question asking for the three most likely causes. Answers were analyzed using thematic analysis. Afterwards, themes were transformed into categorical variables to analyze differences by country and by gender. Qualitative analyses revealed a wide range of different causal beliefs. Themes differed by gender, with women tending to mention more external causal beliefs. Themes also differed between the five countries but the differences between countries were more pronounced for women than for men. In conclusion, causal beliefs were multifaceted among laypersons and shared basic characteristics with empirically derived risk factors. The more pronounced differences for women suggest that potential gender effects should be considered in cross-cultural research

De casus van het Griekse Referendum in 2015:Persoonlijke toekomstverbeelding als prospectief reflectie-instrument

In this article, we explore a new application of personal imaginations of the future as prospective reflective instrument in a political context. The case is the Greek Referendum of 2015. In the days preceding the Referendum, we collected via an online Survey 124 letters from the future from 99 potential Greek voters about a desired future after a Yes or No Referendum result. While the letters are quite divers in content, form and valence, the letters have in common that potential voters perceive the Referendum situation as ambiguous and uncertain. We analyse one letter in-depth to demonstrate how future identity construction operates to determine values relevant to guiding the present. In dit artikel wordt een nieuwe toepassing van persoonlijke toekomstverbeeldingen besproken, namelijk als prospectief reflectie-instrument in een politieke context. De casus hiervoor is het Griekse Referendum van 2015. In de dagen voorafgaand aan dit Referendum werden via een online Survey 124 brieven vanuit de toekomst van 99 Griekse potentiele kiezers verzameld over een gewenste toekomst na een ja of een nee uitslag van het Referendum. De brieven laten een zeer divers beeld zien, maar hebben als overeenkomst dat het Referendum door potentiele kiezers als een ambigue en onzekere situatie wordt beschouwd. Aan de hand van één brief analyseren we diepgaand hoe de toekomstige identiteitsconstructie van een potentiele kiezer functioneert als waardebepaling voor het hede

Emerging from the global syndemic crucible: Finding belonging in a post Corona future

The covid-19 global syndemic has upended societies worldwide and concomitantly united the world in a shared experience of lockdowns, social distancing, and economic upheaval. In the face of great uncertainty, dystopian realities, and binding government edicts, people's everyday lives, sense of agency, actions, and interactions changed forcibly. Importantly, it has disrupted many practices and routines essential for (re)constituting a sense of belonging, an important element of personhood and individual wellbeing. Using the “Letters from the Future” method, we investigate how individuals imagine and present themselves in the future to navigate thissocial change. We ask “How do letter writers construct a sense of belonging in a future of their own imagining?” To answer this question, we combine discourse- and text analysis with network analysis to examine 47 letters that Greek participants wrote during the Spring 2020 lockdown. We explore how individuals present and introduce their future self, what topos this self inhabits and what expressions, values, and practices they perform and negotiate as they reflect on and navigate their relational worlds. By and large, Greek letter writers recognize that inequities and injustices paved the way for the syndemic and express a pressing need for societal transformation

Healthcare professionals' perspectives on mental health service provision : a pilot focus group study in six European countries

Background: The mental healthcare treatment gap (mhcGAP) in adult populations has been substantiated across Europe. This study formed part of MentALLY, a research project funded by the European Commission, which aimed to gather qualitative empirical evidence to support the provision of European mental healthcare that provides effective treatment to all adults who need it. Methods: Seven focus groups were conducted with 49 health professionals (HPs), including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, general practitioners, and psychiatric nurses who worked in health services in Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. The focus group discussions centered on the barriers and facilitators to providing quality care to people with mild, medium, and severe mental health problems. Analyses included deductively and inductively driven coding procedures. Cross-country consensus was obtained by summarizing findings in the form of a fact sheet which was shared for triangulation by all the MentALLY partners. Results: The results converged into two overarching themes: (1) Minding the treatment gap: the availability and accessibility of Mental Health Services (MHS). The mhcGAP gap identified is composed of different elements that constitute the barriers to care, including bridging divides in care provision, obstacles in facilitating access via referrals and creating a collaborative 'chain of care'. (2) Making therapeutic practice relevant by providing a broad-spectrum of integrated and comprehensive services that value person-centered care comprised of authenticity, flexibility and congruence. Conclusions: The mhcGAP is comprised of the following barriers: a lack of funding, insufficient capacity of human resources, inaccessibility to comprehensive services and a lack of availability of relevant treatments. The facilitators to the provision of MHC include using collaborative models of primary, secondary and prevention-oriented mental healthcare. Teamwork in providing care was considered to be a more effective and efficient use of resources. HPs believe that the use of e-mental health and emerging digital technologies can enhance care provision. Facilitating access to a relevant continuum of community-based care that is responsive coordinated and in line with people's needs throughout their lives is an essential aspect of optimal care provision