The Effect of an Online Live Group Program with Greek Traditional Dances on State Anxiety and Self-Esteem

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of an online live group program with Greek traditional dances on the self-esteem and anxiety of the participants. The research involved 147 people, 43 men and 104 women, aged 49,73±8,141 years old, members of Cultural Clubs. The participants were randomly divided into the experimental group (N=75) and the control group (N=72). The experimental group participated in online live group lessons of Greek traditional dances, through the online platform ZOOM, twice a week. Each lesson had a 45-minute duration and the program lasted 12 weeks, during the quarantine imposed due to COVID-19. During the same period of 12 weeks, the control group continued its daily life in quarantine. The participants in both groups completed the Heatherton and Polivy (1991) State Self-Esteem Scale to measure performance self-esteem, social self-esteem and appearance self-esteem, as well as the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-FORM X-1 by Spielberger et al. (1970) for the measurement of state anxiety, before and after the 12-week period. The processing of the data showed that after participating in the online live group program of Greek traditional dances, the participants in the experimental group significantly increased their performance self-esteem (t=-7,75, p<0,001), social self-esteem (t=-5,23, p<0,001), and appearance self-esteem (t=-5,67, p<0,001), but they significantly reduced their state anxiety (t=7,33, p<0,001). Regarding the participants in the control group, after the 12-week period, the studied variables moved in the undesirable direction, as evidenced by the reduction in self-esteem factors and the increase in state anxiety. The results show that participating in Greek traditional dance group programs, which are conducted live online, affects positively the self-esteem and state anxiety of the participants. Consequently, during these difficult health times that the whole world is experiencing, participating in online live group programs of Greek traditional dance may improve the participants’ psychological state, offering at the same time the solution on the one hand to distance oneself from other people and on the other hand to come in contact with people.

Postpartum Depression: Can Participation in a Psychoeducational Group Therapy Program Help Mothers Better Cope with Their Symptoms?

Up to 15% of mothers experience postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms. Using a pre—post design, results from two 8-week psychoeducational group programs for mothers with moderate levels of PPD symptoms are presented. Findings show the low-cost program to be a promising secondary preventative intervention for an undertreated population.

The Impact of Peer Support Group Programs on Psychosocial Outcomes for Burn Survivors and Caregivers: A Review of the Literature

Peer support group programs are often recommended for burn survivors as a way to facilitate their psychosocial recovery and reintegration into the community. Such programs provide opportunities for burn patients and their caretakers to access emotional and informational support from healthcare providers and other survivors in inpatient or outpatient settings. Despite their popularity, however, there is little information currently available on the efficacy of these groups. In response, we reviewed the existing literature on peer support group programs and their impacts on psychosocial outcomes for burn survivors and their caregivers. A systematic review of the literature utilizing PubMed, PsycINFO, and Medline databases was conducted for articles published between 1990 and 2018. Twenty-five articles including inpatient, outpatient, integrative peer support groups, and burn camps met our inclusion criteria. All inpatient peer support group program articles (n = 4) reported associations with psychosocial improvements. Integrative peer support group program articles (n = 2) reported associations with social integration and reduction in post-traumatic stress and anxiety. All outpatient peer support group program articles (n = 8) demonstrated associations with psychosocial outcomes involving life satisfaction, acceptance of self, and reduced levels of isolation. Findings were less consistent for burn camps: eight articles suggested improvements in psychological outcomes while three articles reported no significant psychosocial effects. Although these results are encouraging, further study is indicated both to replicate these findings, and to determine the optimal implementation of inpatient and outpatient peer support programs.

Evaluation of the relationship between geographic proximity and treatment for people referred to a metropolitan multidisciplinary pain clinic

Objective This study examined which patient characteristics are associated with travelling further to attend a metropolitan, publicly-funded pain management service, and whether travel distance was associated with differences in treatment profile, duration, and percentage of appointments attended. Design Cross-sectional observational cohort study. Method Patients aged &lt; =70 years with a single referral between January 2014 and June 2018, who had not died within 12-months of their first appointment, with a usual place of residence were included (N = 1684; mean age=47.2 years, 55.5% female). Travel distance was calculated using the HERE Routing API based on historical travel times for each scheduled appointment. Results Median travel time was 27.5 minutes (Q1:12.5, Q3:46.2). Ordinal regression showed that women had 20% lower odds of travelling further but people who were overweight or obese (OR = 1.4-2.3), unemployed (OR = 1.27), or taking higher opioid dosages (OR = 1.79-2.82) had higher odds of travelling further. People travelling &gt;60 minutes had fewer treatment minutes (median=143 minutes) and a smaller proportion attended group programs versus medical appointments only (n = 35, 17.0%) than people living within 15 minutes (median=440 minutes; n = 184 attended group programs, 32.6%). People living 16-30 minutes from the clinic missed the highest proportion of appointments. Conclusions While people travelling further for treatment may be predominantly seeking medical treatment, particularly opioid medications, the present findings highlight the need to further explore patient triage and program models of care to ensure that people living with persistent disabling pain can access the same quality and duration of care regardless of where they live.

Discipline as Prevention: Psychoeducational Strategies in Internet Sexual Offending Group Programs

This paper analyzes a UK-based psychoeducational intervention for users of online child sexual exploitation material (CSEM). It is founded on 17 months of anthropological research in group programs with 81 participants and 15 staff. The article argues that group exercises help participants reframe knowledge about their offending, and ultimately reinforce the theoretical concept of discipline (Foucault) toward internal and external surveillance, normalization, and decreased risk. The paper first discusses factors participants believed contributed to offending. It then analyzes the program and participants’ experiences, focusing on exercises about the mind (fantasy), Internet usage (disclosure and relationships), needs met by offending (Good Lives and true needs), and planning for the future (relapse prevention). Critical is that participants are encouraged to reengage offline lives and enact discipline on and to the online world. Thus, the article ends with an anthropologically-minded discussion about digital norms, online morality, and implications for Internet offender psychoeducational practice.

Academics as Arbiters: Promoting Equity and Cultural Responsibility in Group-based Study Abroad

Study abroad is a high impact practice, touted as a tool for developing global and intercultural awareness. In 2017/18, of the nearly 350,000 U.S. students who studied abroad, sixty-five percent participated in “short-term” programs (IIE, 2018). Short-term programs are often administered as group opportunities, in which students undertake experiential education activities with fellow classmates in a host country. In this study, students from populations that have been historically under-represented in study abroad reflected on their experiences within group programs by centering their unique identities and analyzing how particular identities influenced their experiences within the group and host country. Experiences ranged from agentic and empowering to prejudicial and isolating. For example, some students relied on faculty members to mediate interactions among and between the group and host society. In some cases, instructors provided supportive facilitation while, in others, instructors avoided challenging confrontations and difficult conversations. The group itself, and the group leader, are critical units of analysis for understanding the educational and cross-cultural dimensions of study abroad. Abstract in Spanish El estudio en el extranjero se define como una actividad de alto impacto y se promueve como herramienta para desarrollar tanto la conciencia global como intercultural. En el año 2017/2018, el sesenta y cinco por ciento de los 350.000 estudiantes estadounidenses que estudiaron en el extranjero participaron en programas de “estadía corta” (IIE 2018). Los programas de estadía corta son desarrollados como oportunidades para interactuar en grupo donde cada estudiante vive experiencias educativas junto a sus compañeros en un país anfitrión. En este estudio, se pidió que estudiantes provenientes de poblaciones que, históricamente, no han estudiado en el extranjero reflexionaran sobre sus experiencias en programas grupales de estadía corta. La reflexión se hizo desde sus propias identidades y el análisis de cómo sus identidades influenciaron las experiencias dentro del grupo y en el país anfitrión. Los estudiantes reportaron experiencias que les dieron agencia y empoderamiento y otras que fueron perjudiciales o provocaron sentimientos de aislamiento. Por ejemplo, algunos estudiantes esperaban que sus profesores mediaran las interacciones entre el grupo y con el país anfitrión. En algunos casos los instructores proveyeron ayuda que facilitó dichas interacciones. En otros casos, los instructores evitaron tener conversaciones difíciles. Tanto el grupo como el líder del grupo son unidades de análisis que se deben incluir para entender las dimensiones educativas e interculturales del estudio en el extranjero.