Argyroula Kalaitzaki

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• Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology
• Professor (Associate) at Hellenic Mediterranean University

Relating Theory conceptualizes and assesses relating (both negative and positive) around a two-dimensional model with four main and four intermediate positions/dimensions, graphically represented as an octagon (clockwise: upper neutral, upper close, neutral close, lower close, lower neutral, lower distant, neutral distant, and upper distant). Drawi...

Background and purpose: The prevalence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is rising at an alarming rate and is projected to continue increasing in the coming years. The primary approach to preventing diabetes-related complications in individuals with T1D is the exogenous administration of insulin. However, this method can sometimes lead to hypoglyce...

Purpose: The study examined the psychometric properties of the Greek posttraumatic growth inventory (PTGI) among healthcare workers and general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The Greek versions of the PTGI, the Brief COPE, and the Brief Resilience scale were administered to 2163 participants from the general population and 1837 h...

Objectives: The prevalence of mental health disorders has increased in recent years, representing a major public health concern. Increasing the literacy about mental health signs and symptoms is paramount for effective prevention. Having previously studied the psychometric properties of the Mental Health Literacy Questionnaire for young adults-shor...

Background: Recent studies have considered the psychological resilience and growth experienced by healthcare professionals, particularly those facing stressors and traumatic events. Aims: To study posttraumatic growth in healthcare workers caring for patients. Also, to determine the internal consistency of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI)...

Undeniably the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in unprecedented threats and severe traumas for human beings. However, for a proportion of people, the struggle with this crisis has led to positive mental health outcomes, known as posttraumatic growth(PTG). This study compared the PTG levels between community residents and healthcare workers (HCWs)acr...

The study investigated the effect of childhood trauma, alexithymia, and other psychological risk and resilience factors on peripandemic mental distress in Greece. Alexithymia was hypothesized to mediate the association between early trauma and COVID-19-related anxiety and depression. A sample of 557 adults was recruited through a web-based study an...

Το βιβλίο αυτό είναι αφιερωμένο σε όλους τους σημερινούς και μελλοντικούς επαγγελματίες υγείας και ευελπιστούμε να τους βοηθήσει να αποκτήσουν τις βασικές δεξιότητες για διεπαγγελματική συνεργατική πρακτική. Για την παροχή ασφαλούς, υψηλής ποιότητας, προσβάσιμης, ασθενοκεντρικής και πληθυσμοκεντρικής φροντίδας, στο σημερινό σύνθετο κλίμα υγειονομικ...

The present study examined the association of self-perceived negative and positive ageism (PNA/PPA) by older adults in Greece on their quality of life (QoL) and the moderating effects of psychological capital (i.e., self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience) and social support. This web-based cross-sectional study recruited 351 participants fro...

Exposure to war is a severe traumatic experience with disastrous mental health effects. This study examined the mental health among 5,560 residents in 11 countries worldwide at different geographic distances from the epicenter of the Russian-Ukrainian War (RUW). An online questionnaire assessed war-related variables (e.g., personal experiences with...

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is a chronic condition with rising prevalence. The only treatment for individuals with T1D to prevent diabetes-related complications is exogenous insulin administration. Diabetes-related technology has significantly contributed to the management of T1D by reducing the burden of living with diabetes and providing great...

Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian war appear to have adverse mental health effects. These global crises have raised concerns about the long-term psychological well-being of individuals across different demographic groups. Objectives The objective of this study was to evaluate the cumulative mental health effects of the COVID-19...

The theory of posttraumatic growth (PTG) proposes that from life difficulties positive changes can happen, such as deepened personal relationships and an awareness of new possibilities in life. PTG can occur naturally or can be facilitated. This study aimed to promote PTG through a school-based intervention of eight sessions of 45 min each with min...

Aims This study aimed to examine (a) changes in coping strategies and vicarious post‐traumatic growth (VPTG) across three timepoints of the COVID‐19 pandemic among nurses; (b) discrete groups of nurses with unique coping profiles and (c) the association of these coping profiles with VPTG across the timepoints. Background Although literature abound...

This study examined the potential facilitators of vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG; i.e., secondary traumatic stress symptoms—STS, resilience, coping strategies), the interspecialty differences in VPTG among medical (i.e., physicians and nurses) and nonmedical health care workers (HCWs; i.e., psychologists and social workers) across two consecu...

Various global crises nowadays necessitate collaboration on giving prominence to emerging mental health needs and depicting new trends in assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and psychosocial care. This Special Issue aims to publish innovative studies such as the examination of risk and protective factors, new diagnostic and treatment approaches, tech...

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic disease characterised by insulin deficiency due to autoimmune destruction of beta-pancreatic cells. T1D, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes in children and adolescents. On diagnosis, parents of children with TID experience considerable stress, because they need to care for a c...

Background and Objectives: Older patients’ needs are rarely examined beforehand, and thus, although technology-based tools can enhance self-management, acceptability rates are still low. This study aimed to examine and compare self-reported needs, priorities, and preferences of older patients with heart failure (HF), diabetes mellitus type II (DM2)...

Background: Living with a chronic disease involves a variety of daily life limitations that severely affect people in their daily life. Identifying and promoting self-management strategies may improve health outcomes and increase individuals' autonomy. The aim of the present study was to explore the views and perceptions of older people who experie...

Objective This study aimed to investigate the impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine on the mental health of Ukrainians, focusing on war-induced trauma, disturbances in self-organization, post-traumatic stress disorder, complex post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, stress, and depression. Methods Data was collected from 703 participants 6 months...

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...

This research focuses on the assessment of post-traumatic growth (PTG) in an ongoing crisis situation-namely, the war in Ukraine. This research was designed as a cross-sectional correlational study and was conducted 6 months after the beginning of the Rus-sian invasion of Ukraine. The authors focused on the following sociodemographic aspects: gende...

Background and Objectives: Elders’ needs are rarely examined beforehand, and thus, although technology-based tools can enhance self-management, acceptability rates are still low. This study aimed to examine and compare self-reported needs, priorities, and preferences of elders with heart failure (HF), diabetes mellitus (DM), and chronic obstructive...

Living with a chronic disease involves a variety of daily life limitations that severely affect people in their daily life. Identifying and promoting self-management strategies may improve health outcomes and increase patients’ autonomy. The purpose of the present study was to explore the perceived limitations and self-management strategies of elde...

Background: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is a chronic disease that requires exogenous insulin administration and intensive management to prevent any complications. Recent innovations in T1D management technologies include the Advanced Hybrid Closed Loop delivery system (AHCL). The pioneer AHCL system provides automated basal and automated bolus...

Objective This contribution aimed at investigating the moderating role of risk (e.g., the negative influence of COVID-19 on mental health) and protective (e.g., post-traumatic growth) factors on the relationship between the concern for war and stress and anxiety/depression levels among Italian people. Methods A questionnaire that included sociodem...

Introduction In addition to the health crisis that erupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the war between Russia and Ukraine is impacting the mental health and wellbeing of the Romanian population in a negative way. Objectives This study sets out to investigate the impact that social media consumption and an overload of information related to the a...

Objective This study examines the prevalence and predictors of mental health issues, specifically anxiety, depression, and stress, among Ukrainians during the military conflict with Russia. Method A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted six months after the beginning of the conflict. Sociodemographic factors, traumatic experiences, anx...

Healthcare professionals’ health literacy (HL) knowledge and skills influence their interaction with older adults. Healthcare professionals, when effectively communicating with older adults, can empower and enhance patients’ skills to make informed decisions about their health. The study aimed to adapt and pilot test a HL toolkit to enhance the HL...

Background: Although a surge of interest has recently emerged in investigating the simultaneous problematic use of various technology-based tools, the findings are still inconclusive. The present web-based survey aimed at examining whether (a) personality traits, coping strategies, and sociodemographics are associated with problematic internet, sma...

Strengthening the health literacy (HL) skills of the healthcare users is a multicomponent process involving the users, the healthcare professionals, the stakeholders, and the environment. Health organizations, universities, private initiatives, and funded projects focused on developing and implementing continuing education courses target at increas...

Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1D) is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting children and adolescents. The daily management of T1D requires continuous insulin therapy, as well as the inevitable adjustment of daily activities according to glycaemic control, both of which may result in experiencing T1D related stigma. A significant proportion...

Objectives The primary objective of this study was to compare the estimates of Problematic Internet Use (PIU) from 14 countries around the world, considering gender. The second objective was to explore the relationships between PIU and personality-related variables (pathological personality traits, defense mechanisms, coping strategies, and self-es...

Objective To determine the levels of burnout among Greek nurses during the first wave of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to investigate the relationship among levels of burnout, satisfaction and concern about information, personal protection equipment (PPE), and safety for COVID-19. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted. D...

This study seeks to expand previous research by examining (a) the prevalence rates of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and its potential predictors (posttraumatic stress symptoms [PTSS], perceived stress, adaptive coping strategies, social support) during the first and second lockdown in the general population of Greece, and (b) the mediating role of the...

This study examined (a) differences in estimates of Problematic Mobile Phone Use (PMPU) in adults across 14 countries worldwide and (b) whether personality and psychopathology variables predict PMPU. A sample of 7531 adults (69.6% women; mean age 25.7, SD = 9.9) completed an online survey about PMPU, defense mechanisms, coping strategies, self-este...

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...

Aim: The study examined (a) the relationship between caregivers’ (CG) quality of life (QoL) and their reports about care receivers’ dementia symptoms and (b) whether CG’s resilience would be a mediator in this relationship. Method: This was a cross-sectional study based on a purposeful sampling. Face-to-face structured interviews were conducted wit...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses are repeatedly exposed to acute stress at their workplace, and therefore, they are at high risk for developing mental health symptoms. The prolonged exposure of healthcare professionals may lead to Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS). STS is an aspect of “cost of care”, the natural consequence of providing care to...

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, on 24th of February 2022, over 7.2 million Ukrainians have left the country, becoming refugees, and one third of the population have been displaced. As the war has been in the attention of the media from the first moment, it rapidly gained global attention, affecting not only Ukrainians, but also people around...

Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and the factors associated with resilience among a sample of 118 Greek informal caregivers (78.8% females, mean age=58.9, SD=11.6) of people with dementia. Face-to-face interviews assessed caregivers’ socio�demographics, resilience, quality of life, burden, familism, and perception of...

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder which has attracted the interest of researchers in many scientific fields. The prevalence of a disease or a disorder is important for healthcare and socioeconomic reasons. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), currently, 1 in 160 children is born with ASD (0....

Background Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 is a chronic metabolic disorder the treatment of which extremely burdens the patient. The lockdown, as a measure to prevent the spreading of the 2019 corona virus disease, was a major challenge for the general public. People with chronic diseases, such as T1D patients, have complex emotional and psychological nee...

Introduction: Older people are the basic users of health services. However, studies have shown that they have relatively low health literacy (HL) levels which results in many negative health outcomes. HL is a major challenge in public healthcare systems and an important determinant of optimised health outcomes and better quality of life for older p...

Cyberstalking is becoming more common among young adults. The aim of this study was to investigate (1) the prevalence, behaviours, and tactics of both victims and perpetrators of cyberstalking among a sample of Greek undergraduate students; (2) the correlates of victimization and perpetration of cyberstalking to personality, attachment style, and r...

Type 1 Diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic, multifactorial metabolic disease that requires constant medical care. T1DM is the result of an irreversible destruction of pancreatic β-cells, inevitably leading individuals to chronic exogenous insulin dependence. The prevalence of depression among T1DM is common and affects both the progression and ma...

Background Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is a chronic autoimmune disease, which is characterized by an increased prevalence worldwide, which, in fact, tends to take extensive dimensions. The recent rapid development of science and technology has significantly contributed to the improvement of the management of type 1 diabetes mellitus, both in ac...

The aim was to (i) compare the rates of perceived stress, post‐traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and other potential correlates (i.e., resilience, social support, coping strategies, and loneliness) in the general population between the two COVID‐19 lockdowns in Greece and (ii) explore risk and protective factors of PTSS. Online data were collected a...

Objective: Health care workers (HCWs) are at risk for suffering negative psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as secondary traumatic stress symptoms (STS), as they are exposed to this traumatic experience both directly, as community residents, and indirectly, in the care of infected patients. Following vicarious exposure, posit...

Although social workers are at great risk for suffering secondary traumatic stress symptoms (STS) as a result of their indirect exposure to their patients’ traumatic experiences, positive psychological consequences can also occur. Vicarious posttraumatic growth (VPTG) could be a potential positive result of vicarious traumatization. This presentati...

COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown have both negative and positive effects on mental health Posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD is a negative result on mental health, whereas Posttraumatic growth or PTG is a potential positive outcome. This presentation aims to examine PTG levels among Greek community residents and its association with...

This cross-sectional retrospective study on a convenience sample of 973 Greek undergraduate students examined whether the violent socialization in childhood and the criminal history in adolescence would be mediators between parents' harsh discipline and young adults' violent attitudes and behaviors (VA/B). Structural Equation Modelling indicated th...

Despite the indisputable negative psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, positive consequences are also possible. Resilience and coping strategies have been assumed to contribute to these outcomes. However, findings are still scarce and inconclusive. The study aimed to examine the role of resilience and coping strategies in the seconda...

Ιmmigrants’ psychological health has been the focus of many studies as it is a timely subject due to the increasing numbers of immigrants and refugees who enter Greece the recent decades, and the resulting anxiety that this process brings about to the individual. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between immigrants’ and G...

Scarce and inconclusive evidence exists on the mental health consequences of the COVID‐19 lockdown. This study examined the psychological impact of the lockdown in Greece, resilience levels, use of coping strategies, and identified high‐risk groups. A sample of 1661 participants (mean age = 39.5, SD = 12.2; 75.5% females) completed a web‐based surv...

Résumé Objectifs: L’objectif principal était d’explorer et de comparer l’impact de la pandémie de la COVID-19 (stress perçu, risque et crainte perçus d’être contaminé, gravité estimée, respect du confinement, qualité de vie, qualité des relations, solitude, résilience) lors de la période de confinement dans un échantillon de français métropolitains...

The study examined whether online and offline social capital and offline social support are associated with less perceived stress in 403 undergraduate Greek college students through the mediating role of resilience and life satisfaction. Gender differences were also explored. A path analysis explored the relationships among the study variables and...

Aim To investigate perceptions of informal caregivers of community-dwelling persons with dementia (PwD) regarding health and social care services and their correlates using the Behavioral Model of Healthcare Utilization as the theoretical framework. Methods This was a cross-sectional study using a purposive sampling technique to identify, through...

This cross-sectional retrospective study on a convenience sample of 973 Greek undergraduate students examined whether the violent socialization in childhood and the criminal history in adolescence would be mediators between parents’ harsh discipline and young adults’ violent attitudes and behaviors (VA/B). Structural Equation Modelling indicated th...

Background: Despite the indisputable negative psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder), positive ones (i.e., posttraumatic growth) are also possible. Although resilience and coping strategies have been assumed to contribute to these outcomes, findings are still scarce and inconclusive. Aim: The study...

Scarce and inconclusive evidence exists on the mental health consequences of the COVID-19 lockdown. This study examined the impact (positive and negative) of the lockdown, levels of resilience and use of coping strategies, and identified high-risk groups during the lockdown in Greece (05/04/2020 - 30/04/2020). A sample of 1661 participants (mean ag...

Τα τελευταία χρόνια, ιδιαίτερη έμφαση έχει δοθεί στην μετατραυματική ανάπτυξη τωνπαιδιών, δηλαδή στην θετική εξέλιξή τους σε προσωπικό, κοινωνικό και πνευματικό επίπεδο μετάτην εμπειρία τους με τραυματικά γεγονότα. Η ανάπτυξη αυτή θεωρείται ότι μπορεί να επιτευχθείμέσω της χρήσης των σοβαρών ηλεκτρονικών παιχνιδιών (Serious Games). Σκοπός αυτού του...

Psychosocial impact of COVID-19 lockdown in Greece

Aperçu de l'impact psychosocial de la COVID-19 en France métropolitaine et ultramarine

Preview of the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 in French metropolitans and overseas

Cyberstalking is becoming more common among young adults. The aim of this study was to investigate (1) the prevalence, behaviours, and tactics of both victims and perpetrators of cyberstalking among a sample of Greek undergraduate students; (2) the correlates of victimization and perpetration of cyberstalking to personality, attachment style, and r...

Mobbing is a type of psychological violence, in which an individual becomes the target of disrespectful or harmful behavior at the workplace. The aim of the present study was to examine the mobbing behaviors and its effect on employees’ quality of working life, physical and mental health. Potential measures and interventions implemented by both the...

The aim of this prospective, cross-sectional study was to examine the protective and risk psychological factors associated with the successful outcome of In vitro fertilisation (IVF). Various psychological factors that may affect the IVF outcome were measured to a sample of 61 infertile women (mean age 37.2 ± 4.4), who started their first or consec...

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 co...

Aim This study examined the role of both positive and negative aspects of social relationships with partners, friends, and children on the psychological well‐being of Greek elders, as well as the potential mediating role of resilience. Methods The sample included 100 Greek older community‐dwellings recruited from three care centres. They completed...

The potential transmission of family violence in adults’ dating relationships was examined in a multiple mediator model among 807 college students in Greece. The Dimensions of Discipline Inventory-Adult Recall form measured students’ retrospective accounts of their parents’ discipline methods used at the age of 10, the Conflict Tactics Scales-Betwe...

In humans, as in other species, nonindependent mate choice takes place when females are influenced in their mate choice by the choices of other females. Previous studies have used almost exclusively experimental methods, with the most robust finding being that women tend to be more attracted to men who are paired with attractive women. Results, how...

Cyberstalking is a rapidly growing phenomenon, which is becoming more common among youth nowadays. The study aimed at investigating: 1) the prevalence, behaviors, and tactics of both victims and perpetrators among a sample of Greek undergraduate students, 2) the correlates of victimization and perpetration with personality, attachment style, and re...

This chapter summarises and critically evaluates the research presented in this book and proposes directions for future research on Relating Theory. Measures of relating/interrelating are introduced and issues, such as their psychometric properties, the need to develop further translations and Internet-administered versions, the issue of validity,...

Ideally a person would always relate positively. People relate negatively because they have not acquired the capability to relate positively. Psychotherapy patients consistently obtain high scores on the Person’s Relating to Others Questionnaire (PROQ3; Birtchnell, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 20(1), 36–48, 2013), which is a measure of ne...

The Family Members Interrelating Questionnaire (FMIQ; Kalaitzaki et al., Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 16(3), 199–215, 2009; and Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 17, 463–481, 2010) comprises a set of 16 eight-scale questionnaires of 96 items each, to measure negative forms of both self and other relating within families. The rationale fo...

This chapter reports on the rationale of applying individual therapy in treating psychopathology symptoms and couple and/or family interrelating deficiencies. The efficacy of systemic interventions in treating relationship distress has been well documented. However, less attention has been paid to the effectiveness of individually orientated therap...

The Couple’s Relating to Each Other Questionnaire (CREOQ; Birtchnell et al., Psychology & Psychotherapy, Theory, Research & Practice, 79, 339–364, 2006) is made up of four questionnaires comprising each partner’s view of his/her own negative relating towards the other and his/her experience of the other’s negative relating towards him/her. It is a...

This chapter presents the Person’s Relating Interview (PRI; Leoni and Birtchnell, The person’s relating interview. Unpublished instrument. London, UK, 1999a), and the Observation of Relating Behaviour (ORB; Leoni and Birtchnell, The observation of relating behaviour. Unpublished instrument. London, UK, 1999b), both of which measure the relating beh...

The Person’s Relating to Others Questionnaire (PROQ) was designed to measure a person’s negative relating tendencies. It has undergone a number of modifications, the latest version being the PROQ3 (Birtchnell et al., Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 20, 36–48, 2013) which consists of 48 items. Its eight scales correspond to the eight positions...

This chapter summarises and critically evaluates the research presented in this book and proposes directions for future research on Relating Theory. Measures of relating/interrelating are introduced and issues, such as their psychometric properties, the need to develop further translations and Internet-administered versions, the issue of validity,...

This chapter will introduce Positive Psychology, a new scientific field in psychology, which focuses upon the positive aspects of human life (e.g. happiness, well-being, flourishing). Positive relationships are considered vital in contributing to well-being. Short instruments that measure positive relationships, among other concepts, will be cited,...

This book brings together recent research developments in relating theory. It is divided into four parts, which introduce the reader to relating theory, how it has developed and how it can be applied to clinical and forensic psychology. Topics include how couples relate to one another, how young people relate to their parents, how assessments of re...

The study aims to validate the shortened version of the Person's Relating to Others Questionnaire (PROQ3), a measure of negative and maladaptive relating to others, for data collection via the Internet across 4 national samples. The psychometric properties of the Internet-administered (IN) format of the PROQ3 in 4,802 participants (169 British; 360...