Papers by Zissi Anastasia
Psychology: the Journal of the Hellenic Psychological Society, 2020
The present brief review examines the interrelationships between social factors and children’s as... more The present brief review examines the interrelationships between social factors and children’s as well as adolescents’ mental health by looking mostly at the real social and material conditions of their development. The review stems from the sociological theories of social capital (Coleman, 1988), of social disorganization (Sampson & Laub, 1994), and from psycho-social theories of family strain model (Conger & Elder, 1994), and of the psychological sense of community (McMillan & Chavis, 1986). international empirical evidence is presented concerning with the fields of primary and secondary socialization of children and adolescents. This evidence shows that the stable material wellness, intimate and community social bonds, the sense of place together with the sense of psychological community constitute critical factors and processes that influence strongly the social and psychological health of children and adolescents.
European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling, 2021
The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 2017
Background: This study draws on old and well-established evidence that economic change, and espec... more Background: This study draws on old and well-established evidence that economic change, and especially recession, affects people’s lives, behavior and mental health. Even though the literature is rich on the relationship between unemployment and mental distress, there is a renewed research interest on the link between socio-economic inequalities and psychological health. Aims: The study investigates the relationship of social class with mental distress during the hard times of persistent and severe economic crisis in Greece by conducting a comparative, community study in the country’s second largest city, Thessaloniki. Method: A face-to-face structured interview covering living conditions, life events, chronic stressors and coping strategies was employed to 300 residents of socio-economically contrasting neighborhood areas. Social class was operationalized by Erik Olin Wright’s social class position typology, based on ownership and control over productive assets. The method of multi...
European Journal of Sociology, 2014
Studies of xenophobia have focused either on socio-economic context that accentuates xenophobic a... more Studies of xenophobia have focused either on socio-economic context that accentuates xenophobic attitudes or on perceptions of immigrants, namely symbolic and realistic threats as well as on social distance from immigrants. This study examines closely the relationship among various components of xenophobia and their contribution in the formation of particular xenophobic groups. The analysis identified four different xenophobic groups, i.e. a) The distant xenophobic group, b) The core xenophobic group, c) The subtle xenophobic group and d) The ambivalent xenophobic group. The groups’ profiles are synthesized through negative, neutral and positive properties of overall attitudes towards immigrants, perceived threats, political xenophobia, social distance, authoritarian attitudes and individual social characteristics. The survey results demonstrate that a multidimensional conceptualization of xenophobia is needed both at the level of objective social condition and of individual and col...
Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 2006
The present cross-sectional study examines the perceptions of residents of a rural community in G... more The present cross-sectional study examines the perceptions of residents of a rural community in Greece pertaining to the interpretation, explanation, treatment and prognosis of various psychological problems. In all, 100 community residents took part. A series of vignettes in combination with both qualitative and quantitative data collection procedures was employed. The findings indicate a variation in the endorsement of interpretations and causal attributions as a function of the type of symptomatology presented. The overt psychotic cases of schizophrenia were more likely to be understood within a genetic explanatory framework while the less overt symptoms of mental disorders were perceived as being indicative of emotional problems triggered by personality and social environmental factors. A preference for psychological methods of treatment was expressed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
International Journal for Equity in Health, 2010
Background: Socioeconomic health inequalities in adolescence are not consistently reported. This ... more Background: Socioeconomic health inequalities in adolescence are not consistently reported. This may be due to the measurement of self-reported general health, which probably fails to fully capture the psychological dimension of health, and the reliance on traditional socioeconomic indicators, such as parental education or occupational status. The present study aimed at investigating this issue using simple questions to assess both the physical and psychological dimension of health and a broader set of socioeconomic indicators than previously used. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of 5614 adolescents aged 16-18 years-old from 25 senior high schools in Greece. Self-reported general and psychological health were both measured by means of a simple Likert-type question. We assessed the following socioeconomic variables: parents' education, parents' employment status, a subjective assessment of the financial difficulties experienced by the family and adolescents' own academic performance as a measure of the personal social position in the school setting. Results: One out of ten (10%) and one out of three (32%) adolescents did not enjoy good general and psychological health respectively. For both health variables robust associations were found in adolescents who reported more financial difficulties in the family and had worse academic performance. The latter was associated with psychological health in a more linear way. Father's unemployment showed a non-significant trend for an association with worse psychological health in girls only. Conclusions: Socioeconomic inequalities exist in this period of life but are more easily demonstrated with more subjective socioeconomic indicators, especially for the psychological dimension of health.
Health Education Journal, 2013
Objectives: This paper examines the context of health promotion actions that are focused on/contr... more Objectives: This paper examines the context of health promotion actions that are focused on/contributing to strengthening social capital by increasing community participation, reciprocal trust and support as the means to achieve better health and more active ageing. Method: The methodology employed was a literature review/research synthesis, and a thematic analysis. Results: Four core themes emerged from the analysis: a) active ageing; b) the relationship between social capital and ageing; c) the importance of social capital in health promotion; and d) policy implications. The role of social capital in health promotion stresses empowerment, intergenerational support, the building of social trust, and the need to tackle loneliness among older adults. The importance of community/social participation emerged from the literature review as a key contributor to the maintenance and promotion of a healthier ageing population. Conclusion: Supporting long-term social capital building within c...
Journal of Community Psychology
Stigma is detrimental to persons experiencing mental distress, as it impacts on their social incl... more Stigma is detrimental to persons experiencing mental distress, as it impacts on their social inclusion, quality of life, and recovery. In this article, we present the self-presentation strategies employed by persons with psychosis to manage internalized stigma. A study of the life trajectories of persons with psychosis analyzed 27 biographical interviews and identified five types of biographical trajectories. This article focuses on one biographical type, represented by six narratives. Participants placed in this biographical type struggle to portray a socially acceptable self through concealing experiences of distress and distancing the self from the psychiatric label they entail. This was achieved through several strategies, including the normalization of prior life, unwillingness to disclose psychotic experiences, unquestioning compliance with psychiatric medication, and presenting oneself as an ordinary person. Fostering more adaptive coping strategies to reduce internalized stigma may be a potential goal for psychosocial interventions.
Psychosis, 2018
The paper examines the often neglected, social factors implicated in recovery from severe mental ... more The paper examines the often neglected, social factors implicated in recovery from severe mental distress, by presenting findings from a biographical study of individuals experiencing psychosis. Biographical interviews with 26 individuals with psychotic experiences and diagnosis of psychotic disorders were conducted and subjected to narrative biographical analysis. This paper focuses on a group of narrators who are engaged in a struggle to live a satisfactory life despite ongoing mental distress, and thus can be seen as being in recovery. In terms of therapeutic itineraries, the distinctive characteristics of this group are the early recognition and community management of psychotic experiences. Participants in this group also consistently employ various strategies for managing their psychotic experiences as well as for looking after their mental health. The two most central social parameters for recovery identified in this study are firstly, increased social participation through interpersonal and social networks, and secondly, access to empowering discourses and practices regarding mental distress, which are in turn related to developments in the mental health service system over the last two decades. We conclude that crucial parameters in building a life with psychosis involve the broader sociocultural context, the mental health service system, and familial and social networks.
Journal of Community Psychology, 2010
Which facets of social capital affect mental health in rural settings? This study explores the as... more Which facets of social capital affect mental health in rural settings? This study explores the association between different aspects of social capital and psychiatric morbidity in rural communities of the Greek North Aegean islands. A large number of individual and community characteristics which may influence psychiatric morbidity are concurrently examined in multilevel models to account for the clustering of individuals within rural settings. The current findings indicate that psychiatric morbidity is to a large extent clustered within rural communities. Individuals' perceived divisions in the community, i.e., political party preference, landholdings etc., low social support networks and lack of perceived solidarity are associated with psychiatric morbidity according to theoretical expectation. At the community level this risk is lower in villages with over 250 residents, where there are youth clubs or a common threat, for instance, property crime.
Mental Health & Prevention
This paper reports on a large scale cross-sectional study examining subjective perceptions of com... more This paper reports on a large scale cross-sectional study examining subjective perceptions of community social life held by a randomly selected sample of residents (n ¼ 428) in all small rural settings (n ¼ 89) of the region of North Aegean Sea. The notion of social capital was used as a conceptual tool in order to explore different aspects of the relational life of contemporary rural communities. This study has two aims: First to provide an account of rural residents' perceptions of village life in terms of interpersonal support, mutual aid, trust, social cohesion and community competence, and second to examine the suitability of the social capital notion within the specific cultural context. A combination of data collection procedures and a range of sources were employed, such as key informants, rural residents and researchers' field observations. The findings indicate that small farming communities of high devotion with deep roots and strong sense of belonging face severe demographic imbalance and experience low civic power given the limited links with external agents. The mainstream notion of social capital as an unconditionally beneficial factor is thus questioned. The findings call for revisiting its relevance across communities with varying capacities and needs.
Which facets of social capital affect mental health in rural settings? This study explores the as... more Which facets of social capital affect mental health in rural settings? This study explores the association between different aspects of social capital and psychiatric morbidity in rural communities of the Greek North Aegean islands. A large number of individual and community characteristics that may influence psychiatric morbidity are concurrently examined in multilevel models to account for the clustering of individuals within rural settings. The current findings indicate that psychiatric morbidity is, to a large extent, clustered within rural communities. Individuals' perceived divisions in the community, i.e., political party preference, landholdings, low social support networks, and lack of perceived solidarity, are associated with psychiatric morbidity according to theoretical expectation. At the community level, this risk is lower in villages with over 250 residents, where there are youth clubs or a common threat, for instance, property crime.
Stigma is detrimental to persons experiencing mental distress, as it impacts on their social incl... more Stigma is detrimental to persons experiencing mental distress, as it impacts on their social inclusion, quality of life, and recovery. In this article, we present the self
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Papers by Zissi Anastasia