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The current study investigated the effectiveness of a group on-line positive psychology intervention (OPPI) designed to mitigate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent measures to control it. Study participants (N = 82, M.sub.age = 33.07, SD = 9.55) were all Greek adults divided into an intervention (n = 44) and a control group (n = 38). The intervention group attended a voluntary, online, two-week, six-session (each 50 min), group intervention. The intervention aimed at enhancing participants' personal strengths and resilience in order to cope more effectively with the psychological impact of social distancing (e.g., feelings of anxiety, sadness, fear, and/or loneliness). All participants completed an online questionnaire one week before the intervention's implementation, which included scales measuring their: demographic characteristics, empathy, resilience, affectivity, feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety levels, and feelings of fear regarding the outbreak. Participants in both the intervention and control group completed the same measures the week following the intervention's termination to examine its effects, and two weeks later to examine its long-term effectiveness. The intervention was found to be effective in alleviating the impact of the pandemic and in strengthening participants' resilience. More specifically, the results showed significant decreases for the intervention group in all measures of psychosocial distress (anxiety, depression, loneliness and fear) and significant increases in empathy, resilience, and experience of positive emotions. The study's implications for the development and implementation of online psychological interventions during a crisis are discussed., Author(s): Andreas Brouzos [sup.1] , Stephanos P. Vassilopoulos [sup.2] , Vasiliki C. Baourda [sup.1] , Christina Tassi [sup.1] , Vaia Stavrou [sup.1] , Kalliopi Moschou [sup.1] , Katia Ourania Brouzou [...]

This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of randomized controlled trials of psychoeducational group interventions targeting anxiety symptoms in youths. We systematically searched for articles and located twelve studies that collectively included 1132 subjects. Analyses showed an overall effect of -0.47 (95% CI -0.75 to -0.19) on the Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) scale, suggesting that psychoeducation effectively reduces anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents. However, the I[superscript 2] index was 86.4% revealing the presence of substantial heterogeneity. These results suggest that psychoeducation may be a promising alternative for the prevention and/or treatment of anxiety disorders in youths.

This study examined the effectiveness of the 'Feel Good – Think Positive', a school-based, multi-component, positive psychology intervention (PPI) for elementary school children, designed to enhance optimism and hope. Participants were 361 elementary school children (8–12 years old, M = 9.91, SD = 1.26, 158 boys and 203 girls), assigned to an intervention group (n = 229) or to a control group (n = 132), who completed several measures at baseline and after the intervention's completion. Children in the intervention group exhibited increased optimism, hope, diverse coping strategies, social skills, and self-esteem, and decreased pessimism and anxiety, compared to children in the control group who only showed a significant decrease in anxiety. Mediator analyses revealed that gender had a significant effect on anxiety, age on pessimism, emotion-focused coping, seeking social support, and likeability, and parental educational level had no effect. Results are discussed in relevance to positive psychology literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To facilitate students' transition into secondary school, a coping-oriented group program was designed. Pre- and posttest data from three intervention groups conducted over the course of 5 weeks were combined for a total of 56 sixth-grade students waiting to undergo school transition. There was also a test-retest control group (n = 26). Results indicate that completion of the intervention led to a significant decrease on scales measuring self-reported social anxiety symptoms. There was also a significant increase in intervention participants' self-reported self-esteem, likeability, adherence to social rules, and frequency of active coping strategies, compared with the control group. Furthermore, a regression analysis showed that change in the self-reported use of active coping strategies predicted change in social anxiety symptoms for the intervention group. However, no significant change in self-reported use of passive-avoidant coping was observed. We conclude that facilitating effective coping with stress may provide a highly beneficial perspective toward designing transition groups, that may also lead to a significant reduction in social anxiety symptoms in adolescents waiting to undergo secondary school transition.

Forgiveness interventions are a promising approach to conflict resolution, anger-reduction and the enhancement of emotional well-being in adults. The present study examined the effectiveness of a novel six-session, problem-oriented forgiveness group intervention for Greek preadolescents. The sample consisted of 42 primary school students aged 10-13 years, allocated to the experimental (n = 21) or control group (n = 21). The intervention was evaluated using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Results indicated that, compared to the control group, participants in the experimental group showed a significant reduction in feelings of depression and anger as well as an increase in satisfaction with life. In addition, experimental group participants showed a better understanding of forgiveness and developed a more positive attitude towards their offenders. A 12-month follow-up further supported the long-term impact of the forgiveness intervention. Practical implications for the design and implementation of universal forgiveness programmes for older children are discussed.

The present study examined the effectiveness of a novel 6-session, prejudice-reduction group for Greek preadolescents. The sample consisted of 106 elementary school students aged 10-12 years, allocated to the intervention (n = 55) or control group (n = 51). Results indicated that, compared to the control group, participants in the intervention group showed more positive attitudes toward refugees as well as an increase in their general capacity for empathy. In addition, intervention group participants showed more tolerance and less xenophobia. Practical implications for the design and implementation of classroom-based, prejudice-reduction programs for older children are discussed.

To facilitate students' transition into secondary school, a short, problem-oriented group program was designed that included interpretation retraining, problem solving, and social-skills training. Pre- and posttest data from two groups conducted over the course of 5 weeks were combined for a total of 35 6th-grade students waiting to undergo school transition. There was also a no-intervention control group (n = 19). Results indicate that completion of the program by the intervention group led to a significant decrease on negative interpretations, with greater reductions in feelings of loneliness and increases in children's positive attitudes toward school compared to the control group. In addition, 3 months before moving to secondary school, children in the intervention group reported significantly fewer concerns about school transition compared with the controls. We conclude that the inclusion of problem-based strategies may be beneficial when designing transition groups, which may also lead to a significant reduction in worries and concerns about the transition to secondary school.

This study investigated the effectiveness of a social and emotional learning (SEL) group to enhance first-grade students' school adjustment. A seven-session intervention program was conducted by two group leaders and included training in social and emotional skills. Pre- and post- and follow-up assessment data were collected from a total of 114 first-grade Greek students and their teachers. Children attending the intervention group (n = 56) were found to exhibit better social skills and prosocial behavior, as well as less aggressive and disruptive behavior, according to teacher reports, than children in the (non-intervention) control group (n = 58). However, no group differences on children's self-reported school liking and avoidance, as well as on feelings of loneliness and social dissatisfaction, were found. Theoretical and practical implications of the finding are briefly discussed.

Studies examining processes in youth group psychotherapy are scarce. This article reports on the development and psychometric properties of the Psychoeducational Group Alliance Scale for Children (PGAS-c). This scale was designed to assess the therapeutic alliance that develops between the members and the facilitator in a psychoeducational group intervention for children and was tested in 2 samples of children participating in different psychoeducational groups. The PGAS-c was internally consistent in both samples. Concurrent validity was examined using correlations with an established measure of therapeutic relationship (the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory). Reliability and validity of the PGAS-c were supported in both samples.

Human rights education has an encouraging effect on children's school routine. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of a 12‐session transformative human rights education intervention in improving children's school adjustment. Participants were 340 Greek primary school students assigned to intervention group (n = 187) and control group (n = 153). All members completed a written questionnaire 1 week before the implementation of the intervention, measuring their knowledge of human rights, school engagement, perceptions of the school environment, interpersonal relationships, empathy and perceptions, attitudes and feelings towards school. The completion process of the same questionnaire was repeated 1 week after the termination of the intervention and 4 months later. The results showed that the intervention was particularly beneficial as the intervention group members demonstrated a significant increase in their knowledge of human rights, school engagement, perceptions of the school environment, empathy and school liking, while experiencing a significant decrease in school avoidance and loneliness. Members of the control group did not report any significant improvement over time. The study's implications for future research on school‐based human rights interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effectiveness of an 8-week psychoeducational group program for siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The sample consisted of 38 siblings aged 6-15 years (M = 10.75), allocated to the experimental (n = 22) or control group (n = 16). Self-report questionnaires were administered before and after the intervention. Results indicated a significant increase in knowledge of ASD in the experimental group, but not in the control group. In addition, a statistically significant reduction in adjustment difficulties and emotional/behavioral problems in the experimental group was detected. The theoretical and practical relevance of the findings for facilitating sibling support groups is discussed.

Research has shown that social anxiety generalises to sporting and athletic situations. The present study explored the applicability of the Clark and Wells model of social anxiety--and its metacognitive extension--to sport anxiety. Participants were 290 students aged 11-13 years, who completed measures of sport anxiety, social anxiety, depression and cognitive variables implicated by the model. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that performance attitudes, performance cognitions, anticipatory and post-event processing were predictive of sport anxiety, after controlling for social anxiety and depression. In addition, the association between performance attitudes and sport anxiety was stronger at higher levels of anticipatory and post-event processing. These results suggest that the Clark and Wells cognitive model--and its metacognitive extension--is applicable to children with sport anxiety.

The aim of this study was to examine the counselling needs of a sample of secondary school students in Greece. Moreover, the effect of age, gender, and academic performance on such perceived counselling needs was also investigated. The sample consisted of 931 students (433 girls and 498 boys) aged between 12 and 16 years old. A 70-item questionnaire was developed and administered to assess participants' perceived needs in various areas. The exploratory factor analysis yielded five factors: learning skills, vocational guidance/development, interpersonal relationships, personal development, and social values. Students particularly valued social values, learning skills, and vocational/guidance development compared to interpersonal relationship, and personal-development needs. In addition, the effects of age, gender, and academic performance on the five factors were all significant, suggesting that these variables were determinants of students' self-reported counselling needs. The implications of these results for the development and implementation of effective school counselling programs are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to investigate therapeutic factors and perception of co-leaders' attitudes in elementary children. The Critical Incident Questionnaire was collected from participants during 8 sessions of 3 psychoeducational groups for social anxiety, whereas the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory was administered twice. It was found that affective and behavioral therapeutic factors decreased in the working and ending stages, while cognitive therapeutic factors increased significantly as the groups progressed. Moreover, children were able to form a positive perception of co-leaders' attitudes early on, and perceptions further ameliorated as the groups progressed.

This study investigated the efficacy of a psychoeducational group for Greek special education teachers, all but one of whom reported experiencing anger in class. An anger management program was designed, which included a short, four-session package to be given within two weeks. The results of a pretest-posttest comparison revealed reductions in participant-reported indicators of trait anger and hostile interpretations in the anger management group (n = 20) compared to a control sample of teachers not receiving the intervention (n = 24). Mediational analyses also showed that change in hostile attributions mediated change in emotions. These results suggested that the intervention was effective, despite being brief.

This study examined the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (EI) with children's socio-emotional adjustment at school and academic achievement. Children aged 8 to 10 (n = 106) and 11 to 13 years (n = 99) completed the youth version of the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i: YV). Their socio-emotional adjustment was measured with scales from the Teacher's Report Form assessing socio-emotional problems and adaptive functioning at school. Trait EI was positively correlated with aspects of children's adaptive functioning and academic achievement only in the 11- to 13-year-old but not in the 8- to 10-year-old group. Our results illustrate the importance of taking age into consideration when assessing the relationship between trait EI with socio-emotional adjustment at school and academic achievement. The consequences and limitations of these findings are discussed.

This study investigated the impact of a psychoeducational group for social anxiety aimed at elementary children. An 8-week psychoeducational program based on empirically validated risk factors was designed. Interventions included cognitive restructuring, anxiety management techniques, and social skills training. Pre-and posttest data from 3 groups conducted over the course of 3 months were combined for a total of 40 participants. Results indicate completion of the group led to a significant decrease on scales measuring social anxiety and negative interpretation of ambiguity, as well as a significant increase in children's self-reported likeability. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

The study focuses on the mental state language kindergarten teachers use when narrating picture stories. The aims were to examine (a) individual differences in the frequency with which kindergarten teachers use mental state terms, (b) the types of mental state terms (e.g., emotion, desire, belief terms) teachers use most frequently, and (c) the effect that the content of the story to be narrated has on teachers' use of mental state language. A total of 38 kindergarten teachers took part in the study. Participants were asked to narrate a familiar picture story and six short illustrated stories that fell into one of two categories: behavioral or mentalistic. Behavioral stories emphasized the story characters' actions, whereas mentalistic stories emphasized the story characters' mental states. Research Findings: The results showed a significant variation in kindergarten teachers' use of mental state terms. Moreover, teachers used significantly more cognitive state terms than terms expressing other mental states (e.g., emotions and desires). The content of the picture story (behavioral, mentalistic) was not found to have an effect on teachers' use of mental state language. Practice or Policy: Implications of these findings for educators are discussed.

The current study investigated the effectiveness of an online Positive Psychology group intervention for police officers intending to mitigate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and to enhance their personal strengths and resilience. Participants were 95 Greek police officers, assigned to the intervention (n = 49) and the control (n = 45) group. All participants completed an online questionnaire at four time-points. The results indicated a significant increase in the intervention group's empathy, resilience, and positive emotions, as well as a significant decrease in fear of the coronavirus, negative emotions, loneliness, depressive symptoms and anxiety emotions compared to the control group. Changes remained significant in the long-term. The intervention assisted police officers in developing their personal strengths in a difficult period, indicating that personal growth can be triggered even in adverse situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the construct of parenting wisdom and describes the development and preliminary validation of the Parenting Wisdom Scale (PWS), a new instrument designed to measure the construct. In a first study, a preliminary version of the PWS was developed and administered to a sample of 137 parents in Greece. The final version of the scale demonstrated the predicted four-factor solution and good internal consistency for the total and subscale scores. PWS correlated in expected ways with the convergent, discriminant and concurrent validity measures. In a second replication study, the above findings were cross-validated with an independent sample of 312 parents. In total, results are encouraging and seem to support the usefulness of the PWS to assess parenting wisdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effectiveness of an integrative group program of four 4-h sessions, designed to enhance emotional intelligence, empathy, resilience and stress management skills among police officers. Fifty police officers participated in this study, allocated to either the intervention group (n = 23) or the control group (n = 27). The participants completed various self-report questionnaires both before and after the implementation of the program, as well as three months later. Results indicated significant improvement of emotional intelligence, empathy, resilience and stress management levels in the intervention group, compared to the control group. In addition, the positive changes remained significant three months after the termination of intervention. This study provides empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of an intensive, broad targeting group program, which could be integrated into the Police Academies to bring benefits at an individual, social and organizational level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]