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The Effect of Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention on Stress and Mental Health Characteristics of Civil Servants in Crete, Greece

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GeNeDis 2022 (GeNeDis 2022)

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1425))

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Abstract

Evidence is limited regarding the effects of holistic programs on work-related stress, anxiety, and depressive symptomatology. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention (PSAI) on stress and mental health characteristics of civil servants in Crete, Greece. This was a single arm interventional study with PSAI outcome evaluation. Validated, self-reported scales were used to assess stress and mental health characteristics (PSS, DASS, UCLA, RSE, and STAXI). Hair samples were obtained to measure cortisol concentrations as a biological stress marker. Paired-samples t-test or Wilcoxon tests were used to evaluate pre- and post-intervention measures. Overall, 48 civil servants (56.3% women, mean age 51 years) participated in the study. Statistically significant reductions were observed in all self-reported stress scales (p < 0.05). Although hair cortisol decreased, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.109). Statistically significant improvements were also observed on depressive symptomatology (p < 0.001), self-esteem (p < 0.001), loneliness (p < 0.001), self-efficacy (p = 0.002), and anger (p = 0.017). The PSAI appeared beneficial with respect to all self-reported outcomes. Larger studies including control groups and further follow-up evaluations are needed to ascertain these findings.

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Acknowledgments

Authors would like to thank Irini Vasilaki for her assistance in study implementation Eleni Klironomou for her baseline work, Bici Anisa for her assistance in the study implementation and data collection and Myron Galenianos for his support in the financial management of the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postgraduate Course on the Science of Stress and Health Promotion, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Christina Darviri, Eleni Zigkiri & Dimitrios S. Simos

  2. Postgraduate Course on the Science of Stress and Health Promotion, First Department of Propaideutic Surgery, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Maria Charalampopoulou

  3. Postgraduate Course on the Science of Stress and Health Promotion, Outpatient Specialty Clinic for Sexual Health, First Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Ioulia Kokka

  4. Laboratory of Genetics, Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied Biology and Biotechnology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Dimitrios Vlachakis

  5. Postgraduate Course on the Science of Stress and Health Promotion, Center for Adolescent Medicine and UNESCO Chair in Adolescent Health Care, First Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Flora Bacopoulou

  6. University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health & Precision Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece

    George P. Chrousos

Authors
  1. Christina Darviri
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  2. Eleni Zigkiri
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  3. Dimitrios S. Simos
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  4. Maria Charalampopoulou
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  5. Ioulia Kokka
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  6. Dimitrios Vlachakis
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  7. Flora Bacopoulou
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  8. George P. Chrousos
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christina Darviri .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Informatics, Ionian University, Corfu, Greece

    Panagiotis Vlamos

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Darviri, C. et al. (2023). The Effect of Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention on Stress and Mental Health Characteristics of Civil Servants in Crete, Greece. In: Vlamos, P. (eds) GeNeDis 2022. GeNeDis 2022. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1425. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31986-0_6

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