Eugenie Georgaca
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Psychology, Faculty Member
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Research Interests: Sociology, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Human Computer Interaction, Law, and 15 moreArt History, Art, Animation, Multimedia, Computer Animation, Embodied Cognition, Political Science, Performance Art, Sonification, Dance, Digital Art, Data Visualization, Modalities, The Arts, and Social Science
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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
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Available from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:DXN007097 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo
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The paper uses the Offenders' Social Reintegration Project, run between 1988 and 1998 by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, to discuss the characteristics of new forms of action research and to reflect on the... more
The paper uses the Offenders' Social Reintegration Project, run between 1988 and 1998 by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, to discuss the characteristics of new forms of action research and to reflect on the main debates within action research literature. Firstly, new forms of action research dealing with community issues tend to take place within complex systems, aiming to bring potential partners together and to facilitate the development of networks of organisations. Networking presupposes a more open-ended mode of research and opens the question of participation of the social groups concerned. The varying and changing degrees of participation within the Project are described with reference to the role of the researchers and the discrepancy between formal and informal partnerships. Secondly, the relation between research and action is dealt with via a discussion of the different types of knowledge produced in the course of the Project and their appropriateness for informing and evaluating practice. The implications of these arguments for the scientific status of action research and the paradigm within which it can be located are also addressed. Thirdly, the paper discusses the role of the various institutional contexts in shaping and constraining possible types of research and action. Finally, the type of change pursued by action research projects is considered with reference to the ongoing debate within action research literature on the role of politics, leading to the acknowledgement of the inevitable implication of political negotiations and power in any initiative towards social change.
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Despite their controversiality, involuntary admissions in psychiatric departments remain a central issue in mental health care. The present study aims to identify demographic and clinical factors possibly associated with emergency... more
Despite their controversiality, involuntary admissions in psychiatric departments remain a central issue in mental health care. The present study aims to identify demographic and clinical factors possibly associated with emergency involuntary psychiatric assessment and its outcome in Greece. This study was carried out in the psychiatric department of the University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis (UGHA) from 1 March 2018 to 28 February 2019. The sample included 191 individuals who had been psychiatrically assessed without their consent following a prosecutorial order. The majority of the involuntary assessments resulted in hospitalization (71%), with 51% of them resulting in involuntary hospitalization. Almost all patients diagnosed with “F20–29 schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders” were subsequently admitted to the psychiatric department of the UGHA (77 of 81, 66 of them involuntarily). Higher admission rates were recorded among those who had been referred from t...
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ABSTRACT The concept of ‘paradoxical outcome’ refers to instances of differences in evaluation of the outcome of psychotherapy when taken from different sources and/or by different modes of evaluation. Paradoxical outcome has become a... more
ABSTRACT The concept of ‘paradoxical outcome’ refers to instances of differences in evaluation of the outcome of psychotherapy when taken from different sources and/or by different modes of evaluation. Paradoxical outcome has become a central issue in psychotherapy practice and research because of its prevalence as well as its implications for the aims and process of therapy. The concept of paradoxical outcome treats discrepancies in the evaluation of psychotherapy as problematic, indicating that the underlying expectation is that the outcome of psychotherapy should be consistent. In this commentary to the special issue, I propose that this assumption that the outcome of psychotherapy is a unified construct that is agreed among interested parties, that underlies the concept of paradoxical outcome, is a fundamental fallacy. Moreover, I argue that it is important to recognize that the outcome of psychotherapy is a complex notion that has different meanings for the various agents implicated in it. This recognition may in turn open the way to exploring the function and goal of psychotherapy for each of the different agents involved in it, and this will highlight its central role as a social and institutional practice that regulates contemporary subjectivities and practices.
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Abstract Background There is growing interest in the long-term impact of institutional care during childhood and/or adolescence. Studies indicate that residential care is associated with poor adult outcomes, including health and mental... more
Abstract Background There is growing interest in the long-term impact of institutional care during childhood and/or adolescence. Studies indicate that residential care is associated with poor adult outcomes, including health and mental health problems, lower educational attainment and serious emotional and behavioral difficulties. This is, to our knowledge, the first qualitative study οn a Greek sample. Aims The aim of the present study was to provide understanding into the past and present experiences of individuals who had resided in a child-care institution during their childhood and/or adolescence and to contribute to the study of the long-term impact of institutional care on adult life. Method In depth interviews were conducted with 15 individuals (men and women) who had lived in a child-care institution during their childhood and/or adolescence, followed by qualitative thematic analysis. Results Analysis revealed three distinct cohorts of participants, based on their current age and the time period during which they were placed at the institution. Systematic comparison of the three cohorts revealed that independent living was strenuous and challenging and that, although institutional practices ameliorate, the social and emotional needs of the looked after children and their families become increasingly complex. Conclusion Continuous training and support of the personnel of the institutions, a well-planned transitional period with the active involvement of the individuals, as well as systematic follow-ups, seem necessary in order to ensure better adult outcomes.
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Social constructionism and the ‘turn to language’ have influenced both the theory of psychotherapy and the research of therapy process; there now exists a considerable body of literature that applies a social constructionist and a... more
Social constructionism and the ‘turn to language’ have influenced both the theory of psychotherapy and the research of therapy process; there now exists a considerable body of literature that applies a social constructionist and a deconstructionist perspective to psychotherapy theory and research. One of the issues discussed in this body of work relates to subjectivity, which constitutes a central aspect of therapeutic work as well as being at the centre of contemporary debates around selfhood. Subjective experience and one’s sense of self have been studied by different disciplines using a variety of perspectives. In broad terms, mainstream psychological approaches refer to the ‘person’ or the ‘self’, which is understood in terms of ‘personality’, that is to say, it is assumed that a person is an individual, unified, stable and self-contained entity. The terms ‘self’ and ‘person’ are also linked to humanistic approaches that emphasise the wholeness, integrity and originality of the self as well as to phenomenological approaches that are concerned with the quality of one’s experience of oneself. The term ‘subjectivity’ has been historically linked to post-structuralism and psychoanalysis and has gained increased currency as these approaches increasingly inform current social constructionist, deconstructive and discursive approaches. What all of these approaches share is an understanding of identity and experience as constructed through social processes, which involve power and systems of meanings, and as lived through by individual subjects. Subjectivity is seen as complex, distributed and fragmented, permeated by social and discursive processes, yet intimately personal, as the subject invests these processes with desire and turns them to the very stuff of his or her being. In this module, which we consider best aimed at postgraduate level, we start from the premise that psychotherapy constitutes a culturally significant institutional practice that both reflects dominant cultural views regarding ‘selfhood’ and also provides theories that further define these views and practices that implement them. We aim to introduce students to constructionist perspectives regarding psychotherapy and selfhood and also to help students begin to examine the tensions between social constructionist approaches to understand human distress and the practice of psychotherapy.
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In this paper, we present and reflect upon the process of evaluating two residential mental health facilities in Thessaloniki, Greece, through the WHO QualityRights tool kit. The QualityRights tool kit is a structured process for... more
In this paper, we present and reflect upon the process of evaluating two residential mental health facilities in Thessaloniki, Greece, through the WHO QualityRights tool kit. The QualityRights tool kit is a structured process for assessing quality of care and human rights in mental health and social care facilities, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), introduced by the World Health Organization in 2012. We have piloted the use of the Toolkit in two supported accommodation facilities, a hostel and a service supervising independent living in apartments, for individuals with long‐term severe mental health problems in the region of Thessaloniki. In this paper, we present the methodology and process of evaluating the facilities, including the challenges posed to the evaluation process by restrictions due to the Covid‐19 pandemic. We showcase the outcome of this evaluation through presenting a summary of the results and the ensuing recommendations for improvement. Finally, we reflect on the usefulness, appropriateness and relevance of the Toolkit for evaluating mental health care facilities in the particular context of contemporary Greece.
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This paper describes a pattern regarding the relationship between feminine sexuality, religiousness and psychotic distress that was discerned in two independent multiple case studies in Greece. One study utilized grounded theory to... more
This paper describes a pattern regarding the relationship between feminine sexuality, religiousness and psychotic distress that was discerned in two independent multiple case studies in Greece. One study utilized grounded theory to develop a model of therapeutic change through recording the development of voice hearers’ understanding and coping with their voices during a therapeutic intervention. The other study applied biographical and thematic analysis to interviews with persons with psychosis and their families, in order to explore family narratives regarding life with a family member with psychosis. A common pattern was detected for all the female participants, whereby following a religious upbringing in childhood and pursuing independence from the family together with social and sexual exploration in early adulthood, the onset of psychosis marked a return to the family home and a religious frame of reference. The psychotic experiences seemed to resemble engrained experiences of shaming regarding sexual and gender norms. Moreover, they had the effect of re-signifying female identity and sexuality, bringing them into line with conservative religious principles. This pattern suggests that psychotic experiences may not only express culturally prescribed female gender norms but also may serve to regulate women’s sexuality in conservative religious cultural environments.
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Research Interests: Psychology and Asylum
Research Interests: Psychology and Psychosis
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Coercion is common practice in mental health care [...]
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ObjectivesThe study examines the clinical determinants of involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. Specifically, it investigates whether distinct clinical profiles of hospitalized patients can be discerned, what other characteristics they... more
ObjectivesThe study examines the clinical determinants of involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. Specifically, it investigates whether distinct clinical profiles of hospitalized patients can be discerned, what other characteristics they are linked with, and which profiles predict involuntary admission.MethodsIn this cross‐sectional multicentre population study, data were collected for 1067 consecutive admissions in all public psychiatric clinics of Thessaloniki, Greece, during 12 months. Through Latent Class Analysis distinct patient clinical profiles were established based on Health of the Nation Outcome Scales ratings. The profiles were then correlated with sociodemographic, other clinical, and treatment‐related factors as covariates and admission status as a distal outcome.ResultsThree profiles emerged. The “Disorganized Psychotic Symptoms” profile, combining positive psychotic symptomatology and disorganization, included mainly men, with previous involuntary hospitalizations a...
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Unaccompanied minors (UAMs) are considered a particularly vulnerable population, facing severe threats regarding their physical and mental health. As their number has increased in recent years worldwide, research on mental health... more
Unaccompanied minors (UAMs) are considered a particularly vulnerable population, facing severe threats regarding their physical and mental health. As their number has increased in recent years worldwide, research on mental health interventions has become necessary. The implementation of psychotherapeutic interventions has been documented, but psychosocial interventions seem to not have been consistently studied. In this review, we summarize the psychotherapeutic and psychosocial interventions with UAMs that have been studied up to now. Following the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews, we searched four databases and included studies and practice papers; there were no restrictions on publication date, geographical region, language, or method. We identified 46 studies on psychotherapeutic interventions and 16 studies on psychosocial interventions that met the inclusion criteria. Psychotherapeutic interventions were mainly based on cognitive behavioural, psychodynamic, narrative, art...
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This article focuses on the important issue of the social nature of self and the ways the different aspects of the self are being internalized through external dialogues. It presents a study that systematically explores the development of... more
This article focuses on the important issue of the social nature of self and the ways the different aspects of the self are being internalized through external dialogues. It presents a study that systematically explores the development of the clients’ voices during group psychotherapy from a narrative and dialogical perspective. Thematic narrative analysis was used to study 20 two-hour group therapy sessions of a systemic informed approach that was completed over 2 years. The analysis involved mapping of the voices of each group member, their categorization as compassionate and/or reflexive, and a sequential depiction of the group voices through timelines. The analysis reveals the ways in which voices, especially compassionate voices, that appear in the dialogue between clients and therapists and are rehearsed in the context of the group are gradually internalized by the clients, becoming clients’ voices, changing thus the dominance of voices of each client’s voice repertoire. This ...
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In this chapter we explore, from a critical discursive perspective, the ways in which the clients’ subjectivity is manifested, negotiated, and transformed within psychotherapeutic conversations. More specifically, we review discursive... more
In this chapter we explore, from a critical discursive perspective, the ways in which the clients’ subjectivity is manifested, negotiated, and transformed within psychotherapeutic conversations. More specifically, we review discursive research on psychotherapy process and outline the main ways in which subjectivity has been conceptualized and studied from a constructionist perspective. Next, we provide a case example of a family therapy and illustrate the use of subject positioning as an analytic tool for the investigation of the interactional processes implicated in the reconstruction of the clients’ subjectivity through therapy. Finally, we discuss the theoretical, methodological, and clinical implications of this work.
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This mixed-methods study investigates the use of wearable technology in embodied psychology research and explores the potential of incorporating bio-signals to focus on the bodily impact of the social experience. The study relies on... more
This mixed-methods study investigates the use of wearable technology in embodied psychology research and explores the potential of incorporating bio-signals to focus on the bodily impact of the social experience. The study relies on scientifically established psychological methods of studying social issues, collective relationships and emotional overloads, such as sociodrama, in combination with participant observation to qualitatively detect and observe verbal and nonverbal aspects of social behavior. We evaluate the proposed method through a pilot sociodrama session and reflect on the outcomes. By utilizing an experimental setting that combines video cameras, microphones, and wearable sensors measuring physiological signals, specifically, heart rate, we explore how the synchronization and analysis of the different signals and annotations enables a mixed-method that combines qualitative and quantitative instruments in studying embodied expressiveness and social interaction.
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This paper describes a pattern regarding the relationship between feminine sexuality, religiousness and psychotic distress that was discerned in two independent multiple case studies in Greece. One study utilized grounded theory to... more
This paper describes a pattern regarding the relationship between feminine sexuality, religiousness and psychotic distress that was discerned in two independent multiple case studies in Greece. One study utilized grounded theory to develop a model of therapeutic change through recording the development of voice hearers’ understanding and coping with their voices during a therapeutic intervention. The other study applied biographical and thematic analysis to interviews with persons with psychosis and their families, in order to explore family narratives regarding life with a family member with psychosis. A common pattern was detected for all the female participants, whereby following a religious upbringing in childhood and pursuing independence from the family together with social and sexual exploration in early adulthood, the onset of psychosis marked a return to the family home and a religious frame of reference. The psychotic experiences seemed to resemble engrained experiences of...
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Abstract. This review discusses two books. Philosophical Psychopatho-logy is an anthology of articles by philosophers in the Anglo-American philosophical tradition who address themselves to a disparate assortment of topics—including... more
Abstract. This review discusses two books. Philosophical Psychopatho-logy is an anthology of articles by philosophers in the Anglo-American philosophical tradition who address themselves to a disparate assortment of topics—including schizophrenia, MPD, autism, blindsight, diagnostic classification and the problem of despair. In general, the articles display admirable conceptual rigor, but are often accompanied by a distant and rather abstract grasp of psychopathological phenomena. Detailed criticisms are offered of an interesting discussion, by the volume editors, of thought insertion in schizophrenia. Deconstructing Psychopathology, written by five British authors, offers a wide-ranging but somewhat predictable critique, from a politically and epistemologically radical perspective (influ-enced by Foucault, Derrida, etc.), of medical-model and other mainstream approaches to ‘mental illness’—a concept whose validity the authors deny and whose political effects they deplore.
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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... 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.
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