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The psychological impact of Covid on health care professionals during the third wave
- M. Theodoratou, A. Potoglou, A. Tamiolaki, A. Kalaitzaki
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 66 / Issue S1 / March 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 19 July 2023, pp. S412-S413
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Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic is a healthcare crisis, with unprecedented impact on healthcare services, notable morbidity and mortality of the public and healthcare workers, economic impact and significant psychosocial impact. Besides, this pandemic has had a profound negative effect on the mental health of people worldwide, particularly among those who are faced with combating the virus.
ObjectivesThe aim of this research was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers’ mental health (HCWs), as they are on the front line of the pandemic.
MethodsAn internet-based questionnaire was created including the following scales: (1)Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5), (2) Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS) (3) Quality of Professional Life (ProQOL) (4) Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory, (PTGI), (5) Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), (6) Brief Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief Cope)], (7) Self-Compassion Scale (SCS-SF). It was distributed to 120 Greek health professionals, including nurses, doctors, midwives and physiotherapists.
ResultsMost of the participants were female with an average age of 46 years. HCWs had low levels of both primary and secondary traumatic stress . They presented post-traumatic growth in the dimension of relationship with others. They used predominantly the coping strategies of positive reframing, acceptance of the situation, venting, and instrumental support.
Females had statistically significant higher levels of post-traumatic growth, better quality of life, and used more positive coping strategies compared to males. Humor and acceptance were coping strategies used mainly by physicians. Nurses and midwives had worse quality of professional life potentially due to increased workload. HCWs with more functional ways of coping were more resilient and seemed to have better quality of life, such as higher compassion, satisfaction, lower burnout, and lower post-traumatic stress.
ConclusionsThe experience of the COVID-19 pandemic highlights the need to implement some strategies to protect health care workers’ mental health and to take extensive prevention measures in highly stressful situations.Further research is needed to clarify the long-term negative and positive psychological effects of the pandemic on healthcare personnel’s mental health.
Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Secondary Traumatic Stress and Vicarious Posttraumatic Growth among nurses during three COVID-19 lockdowns in Greece
- A. Kalaitzaki, G. Tsouvelas, A. Tamiolaki, M. Theodoratou, G. Konstantakopoulos
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 65 / Issue S1 / June 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 01 September 2022, pp. S311-S312
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Introduction
Since the onset of the pandemic, nurses have been repeatedly exposed to their patients’ COVID-19-related traumatic experiences. Therefore, they are at high risk for Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), the stress syndrome resulting from helping others who are suffering. Positive psychological outcomes following this vicarious exposure are also likely. Vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG) refers to the positive changes from working with patients who themselves have coped with traumatic experiences.
ObjectivesThis study aims to examine STS and VPTG among 429 nurses during three lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic in Greece.
MethodsA repeated cross-sectional survey with a convenience and snowball sampling procedure was conducted. The Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS), the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Brief Resilience Scale, and the Brief Cope (BC) were used to measure STS, VPTG, resilience, and coping strategies, respectively.
ResultsNurses in Greece demonstrated high levels of STS at the first lockdown, significantly lower in the second one, which raised again -but not significantly- in the third lockdown. Resilience significantly decreased, whereas VPTG significantly increased across the three lockdowns. Following the escalation of the pandemic nurses in general used significantly more adaptive and less maladaptive coping strategies to deal with the crisis.
ConclusionsFurther research is needed to clarify the longitudinal course of the negative and positive psychological effects of the pandemic on healthcare staff. Conclusions can guide the development of interventions to safeguard nurses from the deleterious impacts of the COVID-19 and support them in their process of growth.
DisclosureNo significant relationships.
Stigmatic beliefs towards persons with dementia: comparing Israeli and Greek college students
- Perla Werner, Argyroula E. Kalaitzaki, Naama Spitzer, Lilach Raviv-Turgeman, Sofia Koukouli, Chariklia Tziraki
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- Journal:
- International Psychogeriatrics / Volume 31 / Issue 10 / October 2019
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 16 July 2019, pp. 1393-1401
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Objectives:
Increasing Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) awareness and decreasing stigmatic beliefs among the general public are core goals of National Dementia Strategy programs. College students are one of the most important targeted populations for achieving this goal. The aim of the current study was to examine AD public stigma among Israeli and Greek college students.
Design:A cross-sectional survey was conducted among college students in Israel and Greece using vignette methodology.
Participants:Seven hundred and fifty three college students – 213 Israeli and 540 Greek – participated in the study.
Measurements:Three dimensions of stigma were assessed (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral) together with health beliefs regarding AD and socio-demographic characteristics.
Results:Low levels of stigma were found in both samples, with Israeli students reporting statistically significant higher levels of stigmatic beliefs than Greek students in all the dimensions, except with willingness to help. Similar to stigma in the area of mental illness, the findings in both countries supported an attributional model for AD public stigma, i.e. positive correlations were found among cognitive attributions, negative emotions, and discriminatory behaviors in both countries. Differences between the countries emerged as a significant determinant of cognitive, as well as of negative emotions and willingness to help.
Conclusion:Our findings might help researchers and clinicians to apply the knowledge gained in the area of mental illness to the development of effective ways of reducing AD public stigma. Moreover, they allowed us to frame the understanding of AD public stigma within a socio-cultural context.
Cyprus
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- By Stéphanie Laulhé Shaelou, Professor at the University of Central Lancashire, Cyprus, Katerina Kalaitzaki, PhD Candidate and Research Fellow at the University of Central Lancashire, Cyprus
- Edited by Christian N.K. Franklin
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- Book:
- The Effectiveness and Application of EU and EEA Law in National Courts
- Published by:
- Intersentia
- Published online:
- 31 January 2019
- Print publication:
- 26 October 2018, pp 495-524
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Summary
THE BIRTH OF THE CYPRIOT CONSTITUTIONAL LEGAL ORDER
The Republic of Cyprus is a relatively “ young “ Republic, since the small island only gained the status of an independent and sovereign state in 1960 after the Zurich and London Agreements. The Agreements, reached between Greece and Turkey, provided a plan for the establishment of an independent state. They comprised three treaties on the basis of which the Constitution of the newly created state was draft ed. The three treaties were the Treaty of Guarantee, the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Establishment, which collectively provided, inter alia, for Greece, Turkey and the UK to guarantee the independence, territorial integrity and security of the Republic, the establishment of Greek and Turkish military contingents in Cyprus, and the preservation of two British sovereign base areas in Cyprus.
The Treaty of Establishment is incorporated into the 1960 Cyprus Constitution. The Treaty of Guarantee and the Treaty of Alliance, which are annexed to the Constitution (Annexes I and II respectively), have been given constitutional force by virtue of Art. 181 of the Constitution. The Cyprus Constitution was described “ as the centrepiece of an intricate network of international agreements and undertakings, delicately but inextricably interwoven with one another and with the Constitution itself “. Papasavvas gives five attributes to the 1960 Constitution, namely “ imposed, rigid, complex, anti-democratic and dividing “. Following the withdrawal of the Turkish Cypriots from the institutions of the Republic shortly after its birth in 1964, the Cypriot government has continued acting on the basis of the “ law of necessity “. It is within this framework that the Republic of Cyprus is an actor in international law.
NATIONAL COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL RULES ON INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS
Cyprus is a hybrid system stemming both from civil law and common law traditions and arguably drawing both from monism and dualism. Treaties, conventions and international agreements need to be ratified by the relevant authorities of the Republic in accordance with Art. 169 of the Constitution, the latter remaining the supreme law of the Republic under Art. 179(1) of the Constitution.