Search results

• Summary: Although abused patients are thought to access the health system at a range of potential entry points, social services are usually the only referral option within the various hospital sectors. In Greece, little is known about the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) and the quality of care provided to cases of abuse at the social services. The current study explored the department's response to IPV cases in a Greek university hospital. Two different research methods were employed: qualitative and document research. Qualitative data were collected through personal interviews with the 10 social workers employed at the department. Document research involved the review of all registries and social history forms recorded between January 2005 and April 2009 at the department. Two predefined screening criteria were employed to identify IPV cases. Seven socio-demographic variables were abstracted from all IPV cases that met the inclusion criteria. • Findings: Four main themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: 1) knowledge gap and openness to education, 2) poor assessment and recording practices, 3) concerns about intervention in confirmed cases, and 4) mistrust in referral resources. The document research revealed a total of 42 records (3.8%) having an IPV screening record present, out of the 1117 initially reviewed. The majority of the IPV patients were women ( n = 33, 78.6%), encountered at the age group of 28–37 years ( n = 16, 38.1%) and presented mixed types of abuse ( n = 32, 76.2%). • Applications: Developing training opportunities and introducing organizational changes could help social workers to better manage IPV cases in the hospital setting.

Introduction: The financial crisis of the last decade has increased the number of people living in extreme poverty in Greece. Despite this fact, little evidence exists on their profile and psychosocial needs. Method: The current study explored the socioeconomic circumstances and psychosocial profile of 798 people confronted with severe poverty. This article further reports on brief interventions introduced at individual-, group-, and community level to address the psychosocial burden of these people. Results: A huge health and mental health burden was found among the participants. People also experienced long periods of unemployment, bad housing and living conditions, and absence of a supportive social/family network. Brief interventions increased people's self-awareness, self-expression, and self-esteem and improved their problem-solving and coping skills. Conclusions: Integrated and family-focused care seems necessary. Mapping the biopsychosocial needs of these people is important for health care and social welfare planning.

Sexual harassment against female migrant domestic workers is a public health problem, which remains hidden and largely underreported. The current paper presents the results of a qualitative research study on sexually victimized migrant domestic workers in four European countries (Austria, Cyprus, Greece, and Sweden). The study aimed at exploring the profile and experiences of victimised individuals. Data were gathered via 66 semi-structured interviews with victimised female migrant domestic workers. Key findings of the current study indicate that the victims: (a) were usually undocumented and had low local language skills; (b) identified domestic work as the only way into the labour market; (c) suffered primarily psychological, economic, and social consequences; (d) had poor social support networks; (e) were poorly connected to governmental support services. This is the first study to explore this hidden problem via direct contact with victims. Addressing barriers of migrants' social integration seems important. Better regulation and monitoring of this low-skilled occupation could minimise risks for vulnerable employees.