Empty-nest-related psychosocial stress: Conceptual issues, future directions in economic crisis.

Τhe empty-nest syndrome is a transitional stage, when middle-aged parents are in the process of encouraging their children to take up their obligations as adults. The empty-nest syndrome is a psychological condition that affects both parents, who experience feelings of grief, loss, fear, inability, difficulty in adjusting roles, and change of parental relationships, when children leave the parental home. Τhis syndrome has gained special interest in a world where the current economic crisis has not only deepened global poverty but also a crisis of values reflected in the dynamic model of the family. The purpose of this review was to appraise the impact of psychosocial stress of the empty- nest syndrome on the parents' well-being through the years, during the current socio-economic crisis, taking into account gender, national and cultural background, socio-demographic and other context factors. We addressed the phenomenon of the "Boomerang Kids" and crowded nests as a result of current financial instability. Finally, we focused on the strategies which the family can employ to retain their resilience, according to the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping Family resilience framework and self-efficacy models. A literature review was conducted using web-based search engines provided by Medline, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane and PsychINFO. The term "empty nest syndrome'' was combined with women, men, economic crisis, parenthood, stress, menopause, midlife crisis, Boomerang kids, crowded nets, resilience, self-efficacy, wellbeing, and cultural differences. Women and men from diverse cultural groups have a different experience of the empty nest, as well as ways of coping. Distress caused by empty nest results in the incidence of symptoms of depression, behavioral symptoms and cognitive impairment. In most of studies, low marital quality and lack of social support affected negatively on a parent's well-being particularly for those experiencing the return of their "Boomerang kids". However, the financial crisis can transform an empty-nest into a "dynamic nest" by community health promotion services. Social support programs should be designed to strengthen family resource and improve family well-being.

[Relationship of οccupational stress parameters with burn-out and perceived stress].

One of the major problems concerning mental healthcare professionals is burn-out as a set of symptoms associated with chronic stress that encompasses three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment. Research has indicated that asylums are stressful environments where nurses are vulnerable to burn-out and occupational stress. There is a tendency for research studies to investigate causes of stress and ways of coping, but few studies, particularly in recent years, have considered burn-out and occupational stress among care staff at Greek asylum. Investigating possible correlation between occupational stress and burn-out is important for implementing appropriate interventional programmes, in order to reduce burn-out among healthcare staff while increasing employee productivity and morale. The aim of this study was the analysis of correlations between burn-out and occupational stress of care staff at Leros Psychiatric Hospital. Forty-nine employees were assessed by Maslach's Burn-out Inventory, the Scale of Job Content, the Perceived Stress Scale and sociodemographic questionnaire data. Higher wages are associated with older workers (x2=7.638, p=0.022), and years at work (x2=10.094, p=0.006). Men have more years of work on average at the asylum than women (t=3.605, p<0.001), and total working time (t=4.914, p<0.001). Emotional exhaustion is related positively to job demands (r=0.484, p<0.001) and psychophysiological stress (r=0.381, p=0.006) and negatively to support from colleagues (r=-0.332, p=0.019) and superiors (r=-0.296, p=0.038). A significant correlation was noted between lack of personal accomplish ment, depression (r=-0.283, p=0.048) and lack of job satisfaction (r=-0.430). We also found a significant negative correlation between depersonalization and support from superiors (r=-0.300, p=0.036). Also, employees who experienced high levels of perceived stress reported higher levels of depression (r=0.358, p=0.011), sleep problems (r=0.469, p<0.001), psychosomatic (r=0.381, p=0.006) and complex psychophysiological stress (r=0.525, p<0.001). A positive correlation has been revealed between job content and burn-out in their three dimensions such us emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Job content is positively associated with the three burn-out dimensions making it necessary to address these issues through staff education in stress management.

Αn uncommon coexistence of primary sexual, cough and exercise headaches: the first three cases from Greece.

BACKGROUND: The "other primary headaches" encompasses a group of uncommon but distinct headache disorders. The coexistence of their subforms such as primary sexual and exercise headache is not a new phenomenon, but in association with cough headache is rather uncommon. Report of cases: We report three cases with a rare coexistence of primary cough, exercise and associated with sexual activity headache. Indomethacin was effective in all patients. The leading pathophysiological explanation involves a rapid rise in intra-abdominal pressure exertional factors or an inappropriate reaction in the cerebral vasculature. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are needed to confirm a common pathogenic mechanism in these patients. Τhe coexistence of these headaches needs to be taken into account in the final classification that is expected to be available in 2016. Hippokratia 2015; 19 (4): 369-371.

A systematic review of randomized controlled interventions for parents' distress in pediatric leukemia.

Objective. This review aims to summarize the existing evidence concerning interventions towards reducing stress in parents with a child with leukemia and their effect in child and family wellbeing. Methods. A systematic review strategy was conducted using MEDLINE covering the period January 1980 to June 2010. Results. Seven randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria including in total 1045 parents participants. A variety of cognitive-behavioral interventions problem-solving skills training programs have been used for managing distress in parents and children. Outcome measures are assessed by self-report, observer report, behavioral/psychological, and physiological measures. The most prominent methodological problems were the marked heterogeneity in stress measurement and the relative absence of proper measurement and adjustment of moderating and mediating factors. The largest effect has been obtained by combined cognitive-behavioral interventions with promising but limited evidence for several other psychological interventions. Conclusions. Recommendations for future RCTs are provided, and particular attention to the quality of trial design and reporting is highlighted.