The Silver Lining of Posttraumatic Growth around the Dark Side of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A School-Based Intervention with Mindfulness and Character Strengths Practices among Children.

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 mindfulness and character strengths practices (the so-called "The exploration of happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic").

Design, Implementation and Evaluation of an Innovative Pilot Intervention to Improve the Family Quality of Life of Children with Specific Learning Disabilities-A Randomized Controlled Trial.

: The high prevalence of learning disabilities among children confirm that learning disabilities are surprisingly common. In the absence of routine screening, many children still go undetected with a huge individual and family burden, while at the same time, the findings of existing interventions are conflicting. This study reports on the design, implementation and evaluation of an innovative pilot intervention aiming at improving the quality of life of the family of children with specific learning disabilities.

Depression and driving.

We have recently published an article in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health presenting the results of our study on the driving behaviour of patients with depression.1 This is the first study conducted on the Greek population assessing the fitness-to-drive of patients with psychiatric disorders through the use of questionnaires and driving simulator. Similar studies in Greece have only been performed among patients with neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease and mild cognitive impairment.

Driving Behaviour in Depression Based on Subjective Evaluation and Data from a Driving Simulator.

Road traffic collisions are a major issue for public health. Depression is characterized by mental, emotional and executive dysfunction, which may have an impact on driving behaviour. Patients with depression (N = 39) and healthy controls (N = 30) were asked to complete questionnaires and to drive on a driving simulator in different scenarios.

Overestimation of Relative Risk and Prevalence Ratio: Misuse of Logistic Modeling.

The extensive use of logistic regression models in analytical epidemiology as well as in randomized clinical trials, often creates inflated estimates of the relative risk (RR). Particularly, in cases where a binary outcome has a high or moderate incidence in the studied population (>10%), the bias in assessing the relative risk may be very high. Meta-analysis studies have estimated that about 40% of the relative risk estimates in prospective investigations, through binary logistic models, lead to extensive bias of the population parameters.

Perceived Knowledge and Attitudes of Faculty Members towards Inclusive Education for Students with Disabilities: Evidence from a Greek University.

The current paper aimed at investigating factors affecting the perceptions and attitudes of faculty members towards inclusive education for students with disabilities in a Greek University. A questionnaire, based on the "Expanding Cultural Awareness of Exceptional Learners-ExCEL" was distributed online to 311 faculty members, during the first semester of 2020. The questionnaire explored participants' sociodemographic and academic background, prior training and personal experience with disability, perceived knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards inclusive education practices.

Involving migrants in the adaptation of primary care services in a 'newly' diverse urban area in Ireland: The tension between agency and structure.

In line with World Health Organization policy (WHO, 2016; 2019), primary care services need to be adapted to effectively meet the needs of diverse patient populations. Drawing from a European participatory implementation study, we present an Irish case study. In a hybrid participatory space, migrants, general practice staff and service planners (n = 11) engaged in a project to implement the use of trained interpreters in primary care over 17 months.

Midwives' experiences of cultural competency training and providing perinatal care for migrant women a mixed methods study: Operational Refugee and Migrant Maternal Approach (ORAMMA) project.

Background: The number of international migrants continues to increase worldwide. Depending on their country of origin and migration experience, migrants may be at greater risk of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Having compassionate and culturally competent healthcare providers is essential to optimise perinatal care.

'Very brief advice' (VBA) on smoking in family practice: a qualitative evaluation of the tobacco user's perspective.

Background: Very Brief Advice on smoking (VBA) is an evidence-based intervention designed to increase quit attempts among patients who smoke. VBA has been widely disseminated in general practice settings in the United Kingdom, however its transferability to Southern European settings is not well established. This study sought to document the perspectives of Greek general practice patients in terms of the acceptability and satisfaction with receiving VBA from their general practitioner (GP) and its influence on patients' motivation to make a quit attempt.

Women, healthcare leadership and societal culture: a qualitative study.

Purpose: Women leaders encounter societal and cultural challenges that define and diminish their career potential. This occurs across several professions including healthcare. Scant attention has been drawn to the discursive dynamics among gender, healthcare leadership and societal culture.

Addressing mental health issues among migrant and refugee pregnant women: A call for action.

Migrant and refugee pregnant women constitute a highly vulnerable group to mental disorders. The rates of mental illness of migrants and refugees are higher than those of host populations, with migrant women being more likely to suffer from prenatal depression. A Policy Paper was developed based on a literature review conducted in Medline, Scopus and Google Scholar.

Physical, psychological and economic burden of two-wheel users after a road traffic injury: Evidence from intensive care units of three EU countries.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the physical, psychological, and economic burden shouldered by severely injured two-wheel users in three European countries as well as the cost resulting from their hospitalization.

Methods: A total of seven public hospitals were involved in three countries: Greece, Italy, and Germany. Participants enrolled during a 12-month period starting in April 2013.

Using Participatory Learning & Action (PLA) research techniques for inter-stakeholder dialogue in primary healthcare: an analysis of stakeholders' experiences.

Plain English Summary: It is important for health care workers to know the needs and expectations of their patients. Therefore, service users have to be involved in research. To achieve a meaningful dialogue between service users, healthcare workers and researchers, participatory methods are needed.

Under-reporting bicycle accidents to police in the COST TU1101 international survey: Cross-country comparisons and associated factors.

Police crash reports are often the main source for official data in many countries. However, with the exception of fatal crashes, crashes are often underreported in a biased manner. Consequently, the countermeasures adopted according to them may be inefficient.

Material practices for meaningful engagement: An analysis of participatory learning and action research techniques for data generation and analysis in a health research partnership.

Background: The material practices which researchers use in research partnerships may enable or constrain the nature of engagement with stakeholder groups. Participatory learning and action (PLA) research approaches show promise, but there has been no detailed analysis of stakeholders' and researchers' experiences of PLA techniques for data generation and co-analysis.

Objectives: To explore stakeholders' and researchers' experiences of PLA techniques for data generation and co-analysis.

Patients' intention to consume prescribed and non-prescribed medicines: A study based on the theory of planned behaviour in selected European countries.

What Is Known And Objective: Polypharmacy has a significant impact on patients' health with overall expenditure on over-the-counter (OTC) medicines representing a substantial burden in terms of cost of treatment. The aim of this study, which was conducted within the framework of a European Project funded by the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme and was entitled OTC-SOCIOMED, was to report on possible determinants of patient behaviour regarding the consumption of medicines, and particularly OTCs, in the context of primary care.

Methods: A multicentre, cross-sectional study was designed and implemented in well-defined primary healthcare settings in Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Malta and Turkey.

Supporting the use of theory in cross-country health services research: a participatory qualitative approach using Normalisation Process Theory as an example.

Objectives: To describe and reflect on the process of designing and delivering a training programme supporting the use of theory, in this case Normalisation Process Theory (NPT), in a multisite cross-country health services research study.

Design: Participatory research approach using qualitative methods.

Setting: Six European primary care settings involving research teams from Austria, England, Greece, Ireland, The Netherlands and Scotland.

Exploring barriers to primary care for migrants in Greece in times of austerity: Perspectives of service providers.

Background: Migration in Europe is increasing at an unprecedented rate. There is an urgent need to develop 'migrant-sensitive healthcare systems'. However, there are many barriers to healthcare for migrants.

Implementing guidelines and training initiatives to improve cross-cultural communication in primary care consultations: a qualitative participatory European study.

Background: Cross-cultural communication in primary care is often difficult, leading to unsatisfactory, substandard care. Supportive evidence-based guidelines and training initiatives (G/TIs) exist to enhance cross cultural communication but their use in practice is sporadic. The objective of this paper is to elucidate how migrants and other stakeholders can adapt, introduce and evaluate such G/TIs in daily clinical practice.

Psychological distress and physical disability in patients sustaining severe injuries in road traffic crashes: Results from a one-year cohort study from three European countries.

The current study aimed to follow-up a group of road crash survivors for one year and assesses the impact of injury on their psychological and physical condition. All crash survivors that were admitted to the intensive or sub-intensive care units of selected hospitals in Greece, Germany and Italy over one year period (2013-2014), were invited to participate in the study and were interviewed at three different time-points as follows: (a) at one month (baseline data), (b) at six months, and (c) at twelve months. The study used widely recommended classifications for injury severity (AIS, MAIS) and standardized health outcome measures such as the Disability Assessment Schedule II (WHODAS 2.

Engaging migrants and other stakeholders to improve communication in cross-cultural consultation in primary care: a theoretically informed participatory study.

Objectives: Guidelines and training initiatives (G/TIs) are available to support communication in cross-cultural consultations but are rarely implemented in routine practice in primary care. As part of the European Union RESTORE project, our objective was to explore whether the available G/TIs make sense to migrants and other key stakeholders and whether they could collectively choose G/TIs and engage in their implementation in primary care settings.

Setting: As part of a comparative analysis of 5 linked qualitative case studies, we used purposeful and snowball sampling to recruit migrants and other key stakeholders in primary care settings in Austria, England, Greece, Ireland and the Netherlands.

Reducing the health care burden for marginalised migrants: The potential role for primary care in Europe.

There is a growing interest in the health of migrants worldwide. Migrants, particularly those in marginalised situations, face significant barriers and inequities in entitlement and access to high quality health care. This study aimed to explore the potential role of primary care in mitigating such barriers and identify ways in which health care policies and systems can influence the ability of primary care to meet the needs of vulnerable and marginalised migrants.

A systematic review of training interventions addressing sexual violence against marginalized at-risk groups of women.

Women from marginalized groups working in occupations such as domestic work are at increased risk for sexual violence. Scarce evidence exists about training interventions targeting such groups. The article aims to identify community and workplace-based training interventions aiming to increase capacity among marginalized at-risk women to deal with sexual violence.