The role of acculturation attitudes and social support in anxiety and depression of Indian immigrants in Greece.

In the present study, we examined factors that may impact immigrants' anxiety and depressive symptoms, focusing on the role of acculturation attitudes and social support. The participants of the present study were first generation Indian immigrants residing in Crete, Greece (N=114). Our first hypothesis was that Indian immigrants will choose two acculturation attitudes, namely integration and separation, as these may enable them maintain certain aspects of their culture of origin given their distinct differences from Greeks in religion, cultural values, and physical appearance. It was also hypothesized that integration and separation will be positively related to social support. Social support was also expected to mediate the negative relationship of separation and integration to anxiety and depression. Furthermore, social support was expected to act protectively for Indian immigrants who chose integration and separation, minimizing the levels of anxiety and depression (i.e., a moderation effect). Using specific measures for anxiety, depression, social support, and acculturation attitudes, the results showed that Indian immigrants report a greater preference for integration and separation. Separation was the only acculturation attitude positively related to social support and negatively to depression through social support from friends and family. Moreover, higher levels of social support seemed to protected immigrants who choose integration from depression and medium and high levels of social support protected immigrants who choose assimilation from anxiety. These findings indicate that both integration and separation are preferred by Indian immigrants in Greece. Moreover, it seems that in the case of Indian immigrants in Greece, separation could be related to more immigrants' social support than other acculturation attitudes, ending in turn to less depression symptoms. These findings demonstrate that different acculturation attitudes (i.e. assimilation, integration, separation) may have different effects on distinct psychological indices. Moreover, immigrants' social support is a protecting factor in the relationship between acculturation attitudes to anxiety and depression. The present study suggests that the increase of the immigrants' social networks could prove helpful for their adaptation to the Greek society.

Criminality in Greece during the years of financial crisis: 2008-2014.

The link between poverty, unemployment and economic downturns and increases in crime rates has long been the subject of social science study. However, the relationships between these phenomena has not been studied sufficiently and through time in most European countries that suffered, or, like Greece, are still suffering the recent financial crisis. We examined if the recent financial crisis in Greece has coincided with an increase in crime, analyzing crime rates since the start of the financial crisis and over an extensive time period (7 years). Crime statistics were taken from the Greek Police. Repeated measures analyses of variance were performed to reveal potential differences in criminality for the years 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014. There was a significant increase in global criminality rate per 100,000 residents (Wilks' Lambda=0.32, F (3,11)=7.93, p=0.004). There was a significant increase in illegal gun possession (Wilks' Lambda=0.16, F (3,11)=18.68, p=0.001), fraud (Wilks' Lambda=0.10, F (3,11)=32.35, p=0.001), extortion (Wilks' Lambda=0.38, F (3,11)=4.45, p=0.040), and beggary (Wilks' Lambda=0.33, F (3,11)=6.22, p=0.014). A reversed U shape was found for homicides, thefts and robberies, with rates peaking in 2010 and 2012 before dropping off in 2014. Narcotics and sexual exploitation crime rates remained unchanged. Surprisingly, the incidence of rape decreased (Wilks' Lambda=0.42, F (3,11)=5.14, p=0.018). Our results are in agreement with the results of previous broader studies as well as with criminological theories according to which in times of economic stress an increase in both property crimes and violent crimes is expected. As predicted, an increase in financial crime was observed (e.g. fraud and extortions) as well as petty crime related to financial hardship like beggary. Concerns regarding the escalation of white-collar crimes in times of economic downturns that have been raised in the literature warrant further investigation.

Financial crisis and criminality in Greece: 2008 vs 2011.

Α number of previous articles have dealt with the negative impact of the Greek Economic crisis on public health, including significant increases in major depression prevalence and suicide and homicide rates. The mentally ill seem to represent a vulnerable social group, with particular difficulties in this context. The number of compulsory assessments and involuntary admissions was recorded by reviewing patient records in the Department of Psychiatry of the University Hospital of Patras, through years 2006-2013. Compulsory assessments increased from 176 in 2006 to 262 in 2009 and 354 in 2013, representing a 48.86% and 101.13% increase in the first and the fifth year of economic crisis, respectively. The assessments resulted in 160 involuntary admissions in 2006, which escalated to 262 admissions (63.75% rise) in 2013. Even though a rise in involuntary placements could be attributed to other factors as well, it may also partly represent a not so evident side of the Greek economic crisis.

Suicide in Greece: 2001-2011.

Since 2008 several European countries have fallen into a financial crisis. This crisis has mainly affected the Greek population. The lower of income and the increase of unemployment as consequences of crisis lead to negative effects on people's mental health. Usually, in periods of economic crisis there is an increase of suicidality of population. The aim of this study is to examine the changes of suicide rates in Greece during the last decade (2001-2011) with particular consideration in the recent period of economic crisis (2008-2011). Data regarding the greek general population and the crude data on suicides were obtained from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT). We assessed the specific suicide rate, i.e. the number of suicide cases per 100.000 inhabitants (SSR) using population data on the 2001 and 2011 census. Yearly and mean total, age and sex-SSR were calculated in five years age groups. There were no suicide cases among children under the age of fifteen. We compared total and male, female SSR during the period before the crisis (2001-2007) and during the crisis (2008-2011). During the decade 2001-2011 a total number of 4133 suicide cases were recorded. There were 3423 (82.8%) male suicides and 710 (17.2%) female suicides. During the decade 2001-2011 total SSR increased by 38.4%. In males increased by 33.1% and in females by 69.6%. In the period before the crisis (2001-2007) total SSR decreased by 3.9%. In males decreased by 8.4% but in females increased by 22.3%. During the period of crisis (2008-2011) total SSR increased by 27.2%. In males increased by 26.9% and in females by 28.5%. There was a statistically significant increase in total SSR during the crisis regarding subjects 50-54 years old (t=3.43, p=0.007) and in total SSR of males (t=2.31, p=0.047) as well as of the males age groups 50-54 (t=3.56, p=0.006), 45-49 (t=2.87, p=0.02), 30-34 (t=2.96, p=0.02). There were no statistically significant differences both in total SSR and in SSR of all age groups of females during the crisis. The most often used method of suicide all the year of this study was by hanging. In absolute count the total suicide cases for the year 2011 in Greece were 477 (SSR=4.22) and the male suicides 393 (SSR=7.02) which are the highest number of suicides observed in Greece during the last decades. Findings suggest an increase in suicide mortality in Greece during the financial crisis. Reorientation of the goals of the national mental health system as well as targeted interventions should be applied in high risk individuals, i.e. unemployed, poor, suffering from mental or/and physical illnesses, in order to prevent or to mitigate the impact of the financial crisis in the greek population.

[Suicide rates and mental health services in Greece].

Some studies have shown that access to mental health services can have an impact on mental health outcomes, including the suicide rates. The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between regional and prefecture suicide rates (suicides per 100.000 residents) and both the number of primary and mental health-care service providers and the number of mental health infrastructures in Greece. Data were taken mainly from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (EL.STAT.) and the Ministry of Health for the period 2002-2009. Spearman correlations were used to examine the relationship between primary health-care, mental health providers and suicide rates per 100,000 residents at the prefecture, administrative region and geographical region levels. Men showed significantly higher suicide rates than women (U=-7.20, p<0.001). For the period 2002-2009, the highest suicide rate at the prefecture level were in Rethymno (6.99), Rodopi (5.62) and Zakynthos (5.28). For the same period, the highest suicide rates at the geographical level were in Peloponnisos (4.01), Ionian Islands (4.03) and Grete (3.65). Increase in suicide rates (2009 vs 2002-2009) was observed in the following geographical regions of Greece: Crete (4.76 vs 3.65), Thrace (4.45 vs 2.02) Central Greece (3.61 vs 1.39) Aegean Islands (3.03 vs 1.28). The highest correlations between suiciderutes and health services at the geographic regional level were found to be during the period 2007-2009, where suicide rates showed a significant negative correlation with privately practicing psychiatrists (rho=-0.71, p<0.05), privately practicing psychologists (rho=-0.56, p<0.05), pathologists (rho=-0.73, p<0.01), and the number of the official mental health services (psychiatric clinics, day centers, mobile mental health units etc.) (rho=-0.73, p<0.01). In conclusion it was found that at all regional levels, suicide rates were reversely related to the number of primary health-care and mental health service providers, as well as the number of mental health infrastructures in Greece. It should be noted that the running financial crisis in Greece seems to have many effects on quality of life, since the most common effects of an economic crisis are unemployment, spending power cuts,general insecurity and public spending retrenchment, including health related budget cuts. Having in mind the above situation, further analyses are needed to determine the relationship between mental health-care services, suicide rates and other psychosocial indices, in order to provide a strategic plan for a better design of mental health-care policy in Greece.

[Internet use and pathological internet engagement in a sample of college students].

Recent studies indicate multiple consequences of pathologically excessive internet use. This study investigated the correlate of internet usage, with pathological internet engagement. Participants were 514 college students from the University of Athens who completed a questionnaire covering various aspects of internet use, Young's Internet Addiction Test, scales investigating online gambling addiction and cybersexual addiction and scales investigating suicidal ideation and the use of psychoactive substances. We found that the daily Internet use (b=0,38, t=10,38, p<0,001), the use of interactive online games (b=0,21, t=5,15, p<0,001), making acquaintances on the internet (b=0,20, t=5,11, p<0,001) and the participation in online forums (b=0,15, t=3,64, p<0,001) account for 42% of the variance of pathological internet engagement. Subjects at risk for developing pathological internet engagement had significantly higher levels of online gambling addiction, cybersexual addiction, suicidal ideation and alcohol abuse, compared with other groups. Pathological internet engagement, particularly in young people, is a new psychopathological parameter that should be incorporated in the diagnostic and therapeutic horizon of mental health professionals.