Children with ASD may present their parents with several challenges, most notably aggressive and destructive behaviors. Parents of children with ASD typically experience more stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms than other parents. Mindfulness-based interventions are reported to be effective in reducing parental stress along with improving the challenging behaviors of their children

The current review aimed to investigate if the use of mindfulness-based interventions is beneficial to reduce parental stress when caring for children with ASD.

The databases of PsycINFO and PubMED were used. The variables studied in this systematic review were Autism, Parental stress, and Mindfulness. Inclusion criteria were that all articles should be academic journals, and with a full text available in English during the last 20 years.

Compared to other behavioral approaches, mindfulness-based interventions showed statistically significant results in reducing the stress levels of parents as well as improving their children’s challenging behaviors.

Most of the studies in the current review indicated that mindfulness-based interventions are beneficial in improving the stress level of parents.

No significant relationships.

Acute measles encephalitis is a pathology of the central nervous system. It is most frequent in children but can also be described in adults. Given the rarity of this pathology, we present the case of this patient.

present a rare neuropsychiatric complication of measles

Présentation d’un cas clinique d’encéphalite rougeoleuse et revue de la littérature

Mrs. HJ, 45 years old, without any somatic history, was followed for an antisocial personality with a substance use disorder. She consulted the emergency for psychomotor agitation, a fever of 39, and a rash on the face, thorax, and limbs. At the psychiatric interview, she was disoriented and very unstable. She seemed to be hallucinating.

The brain imaging and the lumbar puncture (CT scan and brain MRI) were without abnormality. The rapid test (HIV) was negative and the biological check-up showed a hyperleukocytosis at 12660 and a crp at 138. The patient was put on double antibiotic therapy.

The evolution was marked by the non-improvement of the symptomatology with the persistence of agitation. Her speech was almost absent with a refusal to answer and to execute orders. She maintained certain postures. The patient was put on 400 mg of amisulpride.

After recovery of the viral serology, the diagnosis of a measles encephalopathy was confirmed (IgM positive) and the patient improved after a few days of hospitalization and was addressed to the psychiatric outpatient clinic.

Measles encephalitis is a rare but serious complication that requires multidisciplinary management

No significant relationships.

In Ecuador, the first case of covid19 was reported on February 29th of 2020, forcing people to remain in lockdown, which increased gender violence; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

Determine the cases during the lockdown caused by the covid-19 pandemic we found victims of some type of gender-based violence, depression, and PTSD.

An observational, cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out based on surveys conducted online, the study was conducted on January 29th of 2021, in the province of Guayas-Ecuador. Performed with “google forms” platform, data on affiliation, the situation of intimate partner violence and the Davidson trauma test (PTSD) and the Beck test (depression) were collected.

A total of 411 samples were obtained, classified according to age, sex, number of children, education, occupation, intimate partner relationship, whether they had suffered gender violence and types of violence. 88 (21.41%) people reported having suffered some type of violence, of which 25 (28.42%) were men and 62 (70.45%) were women. The most common was psychological with 53 (60.23%) people. 82 respondents tested positive to Davidson test for PTSD, equivalent to 20% of the total sample. 51 people (12%) reported suffering from mild depression, 53 (13%) reported suffering from moderate depression and 38 people (9%) reported major depression with Beck test.

In this study we evidenced that although the interviewers claimed they had never suffered gender violence , it was observed that the results were incongruent, so it is important to highlight that talking about gender violence is still considered a stigma in our society.

No significant relationships.

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) a semi synthetic hallucinogen, was first synthetized by Albert Hofmann in 1938 and its psychological properties were not discovered until 1943. There was a brief renaissance of its use in psychiatry, specifically in assisted psychotherapy for the treatment of alcoholism, neurosis and psychosomatic disorders. However, research with LSD and others psychedelics substances rapidly came to an end with its broad international prohibition in the 1970´s.

This work aims to provide an understanding on the potential benefits of LSD in mental disorders, as well as its mechanism of action and effects on human brain.

A non-systematic review was performed on PubMed database, using the key words “LSD, mental disorder, neuroimaging, cerebral plasticity, psychedelics, substance use disorder”. Websites of the Berkley Foundation and Multidisciplinary Association For Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) were also searched.

Significant evidence has emerged that LSD may have a role in the treatment for some mental disorder, including drug and alcohol dependence and anxiety associated with life threatening diseases. Evidence based on modern neuroimaging technique suggest that LSD alters the brain blood flow, electrical activity, and network communication patterns. Preclinical evidence also demonstrated that psychedelics affect neuroplasticity after acute and chronic administration.

Based on the available evidence LSD when administered safely in a methodologically supervised psychotherapeutic setting can have a potential use for certain psychiatric conditions, suggesting that larger controlled studies are warranted

No significant relationships.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was classically considered a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental condition. Over the past 40 years, it became evident that it can persist during adulthood.

The purpose of the authors is to describe the characteristics of ADHD in adults and the specific comorbidities, proposing an approach to these patients.

A brief non-systematized review is presented, using the literature available on PubMed and Google Scholar.

Only 40-50% of children and adolescents with ADHD will have symptoms that persist into adulthood (estimated adult prevalence of 2.8% across 20 countries; 25% in prisons). A more subtle presentation in adults and the difficulty to access past medical history, lead to diagnosis and treatment rates of lower than 20% (versus 50% in children). Well-characterized core symptoms in children evolve into a predominance of inattention symptoms. They became adults with marked disorganization, difficulties in completing tasks and managing time. Emotional dysregulation is a very prevalent symptom in this population. The comorbidities rate increase over time (reaching 75% of patients).

Adults (or even older subjects) with cognitive and/or behavioural complaints should be submitted to systematic screening for ADHD. Non-treated ADHD symptoms in adulthood are associated with severe impairment, therefore adjustments in the health care system to support the transition from child to adult services are needed.

No significant relationships.

Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) was declared as a motor speech disorder by ASHA (2007). The prevalence of CAS is yet to determined due to difficulties in reliable diagnosis, however 63.6% of children with ASD were found to Apraxic (Tierney et al, 2015), hence prevalence would be at least 1/100 (ASD prevalence is 1/54).

The consequences of inability to speak in early and advanced developmental age are many and might include frustration, anger, depression, communication deficit, language delay, poor social skills and behavioural problems. Not only treating motor speech disorder is challenging enough, the external consequences make it far more difficult.

The VML method (Verbal Motor Learning) was designed to treat the motor aspect of speech. It uses manual techniques and motor learning principles in order to directly teach the basic milestones of speech for children with CAS. In addition, the importance of the manner of the practice was established over the years, extracting 16 unique treatment principles. These principles guide the therapist regarding HOW to perform the practice, while giving an answer to the external CAS consequences.

The principles are the platform, managing energy levels, relationship, attention, goal-oriented thinking, emotional safety, treatment structure, rhythm, timing, threshold point, support, dynamic thinking, ecological treatment, proactivity, clarity and commitment.

The lecture will introduce the 16 principles briefly, and demonstrate the use of them via treatment videos.

I am the founder of the VML method and I teach it in various countries.

Although defined heterogeneously within the literature apathy is classified as a multidimensional deficit with emotional, behavioral, and cognitive domains in which there is a decrease in self-motivated/goal-directed activity. Recently conceptualized as a syndrome but lacking a universal screening tool.

Review current knowledge on apathy and its best therapeutic approach.

Non-systematic review of literature through search on PubMed/MEDLINE following the terms “apathy”and“psychiatry”.

Apathy is amongst the most frequent symptoms of dementia and highly prevalent across different forms and stages of dementia, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as well as other neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), Schizophrenia, Depression and Brain Injury. Individuals with apathy have higher frequencies of cognitive impairment and are less likely to be compliant/respond to treatment for comorbid illnesses. Apathy reduces quality of life, increases mortality and leads to caregivers distress - often identified as the most burdensome symptom. Once treatment should favor dopaminergic neurotransmission, psychostimulants were considered. Methylphenidate showed encouraging results as well as dopamine agonists but both with limited evidence. Atypical antipsychotics(APs) seem beneficial compared to typical APs. Antidepressants did not improve symptoms and may even worsen them. Previously reported benefits of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) were not replicated in recent studies except for rivastigmine in PD. Nonpharmacological interventions are also important.

Apathy occurs frequently in a broad range of neuropsychiatric conditions and considering its impact on patients´ quality of life more studies are needed to find an efficient treatment. A consensus regarding definition and screening tools would allow a better approach.

No significant relationships.

Being the parent of a child followed for a chronic pathology can require different resources and coping skills.

to determine the adaptation strategies of the parents of children monitored for adrenal insufficiency in the face of their children’s pathology

We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out with parents of children with Adrenal Insufficiency followed at the pediatric outpatient clinic in Taher Sfar Mahdia University Hospital between February 2019 and April 2020. We used a pre-established questionnaire collecting sociodemographic data and the strategies of coping using the Brief-COPE Board.

A total of 38 parents of children with adrenal insufficiency and 38 control parents participated in the study. The Brief-Cope board’s study of Coping strategies revealed that the strategies most used by parents of children with Adrenal insufficiency were, in descending order: religion (92.1%), support emotional (73.7%), distraction (63.9%), behavioral disengagement and acceptance (57.9%), instrumental support (52.6%), expression of feelings (50%), positive reinterpretation (39.5%), blame (38.9%), denial and humor (36.8%), active coping and planning (36.1%). On the other hand, those used by the control population were in descending order: religion (94.4%), distraction (84.2%), blame (78.9%), acceptance (72.2%) %), emotional support (69.4%), humor (63.9%), behavioral disengagement (61.1%), active coping (47.2%), expression of feelings (44 , 7%), planning (41.7%), instrumental support (30.6%), positive reinterpretation (22%), denial (19.4%).

Psychological support for the parents of children with chronic illnesses would be necessary to prevent parental burnout and improve their ability to adapt to their experiences

No significant relationships.

Ketamine is routinely used for anesthetic induction because of its dissociative properties. Recently, it has attracted attention as a rapid-acting anti-depressant, but other studies have also reported its efficacy in the management of diverse psychiatric pathologies previously resistant to treatment.

We aimed to review the efficacity of ketamine in the management of mental disorders.

We conducted a litterature review through pubmed database, using the following keywords: “mental illness”; “ketamine”;”depression”;”anxiety disorders”;”eating disorders”;”substance use disorders”.

Ketamine has primarily been used in psychiatry for people with treatment-resistant depression. Its efficacy in reducing suicidal ideation has been previously reported. Furthermore, Ketamine may be a potential therapeutic option for patients with treatment-resistant anxiety disorders, especially obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder. It has recently been reported a rapid onset anxiolytic activity in treatment-resistant social anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Besides, Ketamine use in subjects suffering from eating disorders was associated with a complete remission of severe anorexia nervosa with a return to normal weight and a decrease in body preoccupations. The use of ketamine alone or in combination with other therapies was effective in reducing alcohol and substance use, prolonging abstinence, reducing craving and enhancing motivation. ketamine in combination with motivational enhancement therapy may be an effective pharmacotherapy for initiating and sustaining abstinence from alcoholics

ketamine shows great promise as a treatment for several mental disorders. However, its possible side effects and short duration of efficacy limit its use. Further studies exploring longer-term outcomes and administration protocols are needed.

No significant relationships.

Tuberous sclerosis is a multisystem genetic disorder. It is associated with significant psychiatric comorbidity mainly autistic disorders, hyperkinetic disorders, depression and anxiety. It is rarely associated with psychosis and bipolar disorder.

To describe the case of a 34-year-old male with concomitant diagnosis of bipolar disorder and tuberous sclerosis.

Case report based on clinical records. Brief literature review using articles searched in the PubMed/MEDLINE database using the terms “tuberous sclerosis”, “bipolar disorder” and “neuropsychiatric”.

The patient presented at our Emergency Department 3 years ago with a mixed episode with psychotic symptoms with 1 month of duration. Prior history of two hypomanic episodes, but no depressive episodes. High baseline functionality. Sporadic use of alcohol and cannabis. No family history of psychiatric or neurological diseases. Diagnostic work-up showed no relevant results, aside from small calcifications in brain CT. He was admitted to our ward and medicated with aripiprazol (titrated up to 30 mg), leading to full remission of the clinical picture. The patient was referred to our outpatient clinic and stayed with medication for 1,5 years. One year after, he presented a sudden episode of mutism and perplexity with quick remission. The EEG wielded no relevant results. New brain CT showed signs of tuberous sclerosis. He was referred to Neurology and subsequent assessments, including brain MRI, led to the fulfilment of clinical criteria for tuberous sclerosis.

This case illustrates the possibility of concomitant diagnosis of bipolar disorder and tuberous sclerosis. The possible association between these disorders is discussed.

No significant relationships.

Kleptomania is characterized by recurrent failure to resist the impulse to steal items of little value despite the ego-dystonic impulse and awareness of the wrongfulness of the act. Its prevalence is considered to be 0.6–0.8% in the general population and it is mostly comorbid with other psychiatric disorders. Kleptomania is a disabling disorder since patients suffer from emotional distress and impaired functioning.

Although there is no cure, treatment may help prevent Kleptomania worsening and its negative consequences. We propose a review of the therapeutic approach to this disease.

Non-systematic literature review.

No effective treatment is available for Kleptomania. Better efficacy can be achieved by combining psychotherapy with pharmacotherapy. Different treatment interventions can be selected based on clinical similarities to other disorders, co-occurring conditions or behavioral core features. Patients with significant mood symptoms may benefit from mood stabilizers or antidepressants. For patients with shoplift cravings and/or family history of substance use disorders, Naltrexone may reduce symptoms. Stimulants may be useful for Kleptomania bassociated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder impulsivity. Benzodiazepines are effective in tension relief when used as adjuvants, at the beginning of treatment. Electroconvulsive therapy should be reserved for patients with treatment-resistant symptoms and comorbid depression. Cognitive-behavioral therapy has replaced Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic psychotherapies.

Treatment helps decrease disruption to the person’s life, preventing the intense shame, legal, social, family, and occupational repercussions of Kleptomania. Although pharmaceutical and psychosocial interventions are available, we still lack specific treatments for Kleptomania.

No significant relationships.

Looking back into history, infectious diseases played an important role in human history being responsible, in terms of pathologies, for more deaths than any other disease.

Considering that infectious diseases have a high rate of transmissibility, with an acute debut and sometimes with a fast evolution to exitus, the impact of the news on families of the departed patient diagnosed with an infectious disease can come as a shock. We conducted a literature review regarding the the psychological symptoms, moruning and staging of processing a loss using the international database.

We conducted a literature review regarding the the psychological symptoms, moruning and staging of processing a loss using the international database.

Processing the unexpected death of a family member needs not only the implication of the physician but also the counseling of a specialized psychologist which can help the families through all stages of loss and grief.

For the family of deceased patients in hospitals, mourning and depression are a reality that the psychologist and the attending physician face every day. The team of psychologists and medical doctors are facing cases of severe shock and depression in parents, varying with the age of the child and of the young adult, in cases with an acute or severe disease leading to death.

No significant relationships.

Neuropsychological methods for diagnosing neglect syndrome (NS) are focused on identifying the inability of patients to respond to stimuli localized in contralesional space. There are a large number of methods capable of diagnosing spatial neglect, but at the same time having various limitations and restrictions in their use.

To devise and to test universal diagnostic techniques for visuospatial neglect detection.

1) A.R. Luria test battery; Trail Making Test (Part A); the Bells Test; 2) Authors’ methods: the Puzzles Test, the Red Shapes Test. A total of 47 patients after stroke with right hemisphere damage participated in the study and were divided into a target (18 patients with NS) and a control (29 patients without NS) groups. The Puzzles Test consists of three tasks: turning over cards, completing a sentence using cards with letters, completing a picture. The Red Shapes Test consisted in the search for a variable number of geometric shapes. Objective indicators of the study: total task completion time, the number of left omissions.

The sensitivity of the tests to NS was examined using the Mann-Whitney U-test. Differences in the number of omissions and task completion time between patients with and without spatial neglect were statistically significant regarding all tasks: turning over cards (p=0.01), completing a sentence (p<0.001), completing a picture (p<0.001), finding geometric shapes (p<0.01).

The Puzzles Test and Red Shapes Test along with the foreign tests (the Bells Test, Trail Making Test) are sufficiently effective methods for spatial neglect detection.

No significant relationships.

Anthony Burgess’ novel ‘Clockwork Orange’ identifies the topical debates surrounding the use of aversion therapy (or aversive conditioning) as an effective treatment for addictive behaviours. Widely popularised in literature as ‘Ludovico’s Technique’, Burgess attempts to credit the misunderstanding and dramatization of its effects when the main protagonist is released from a prison sentence after undergoing this treatment.

We aimed to highlight the depictions of aversion therapy in modern popular literature.

A narrative review of the current literature concerning aversion therapy and Anthony Burgess’s novel ‘A Clockwork Orange’ was conducted. Emphasis on the misinterpretation of aversive therapies was noted.

Since the introduction of pharmacological alternatives and additional forms of psychological therapies, there has been a decline in the use of aversion therapy in recent decades. However, it is still effective when conceding the conditioning process. Likewise, its predecessor’ visual imagery’ is believed to be a more acceptable and effective form.

The depiction of aversion therapy in literature and media has played a role in shaping societal views on aversive conditioning techniques and the degree to which they are deemed acceptable forms of treatment. The “Ludovico Technique” featured in the novel ‘A Clockwork Orange’ and its film adaptation is arguably the most salient depiction of aversion therapy in popular culture.

No significant relationships.

Stress is part of the daily life of many people, especially in Western countries. Recent studies have shown that cortisol has been listed as the primary hormone linked to stress. Currently, to measure cortisol values there are only tests that quantify it at a determined time point, without taking into account its variability and its changing pattern over time, depends on the circadian rhythm and other stress-related factors.

This randomized clinical trial of the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona proposes to study the utility of accumulated hair cortisol concentration (HCC) as a measure to correlate the levels of this hormone over time with the stress suffered by the patient.

Patients are classified into two groups: a control group and an intervention group. In the second group, the participants will follow a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) with the aim of reducing stress and, consequently, cortisol levels.

The purpose of this study is to validate the utility of HCC in order to, retrospectively, obtain cortisol secretion curves as a measure of the level of stress of each individual and personalize the treatments. Simultaneously, we intend to present new perspectives for treatment in psychiatric disorders where stress predominates, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or major depression (MD), which are becoming increasingly important in our society.

HCC contributes to the practice of personalized medicine as it allows us to detect cortisol exposure in the months prior to obtaining the capillary sample, and thus to draw the trend of this hormone over time.

No significant relationships.

The internshipis a period in which the studentimplements what they have learned from their training to obtain or certification and to promote their professionalintegration, the difficulty of taking initiative and the lack of self-esteemrepresenting an obstacle to their training

This is a quantitative descriptive study conducted at the different placement departments among all 2nd-year students in all sections. Our data collection was done using two questionnaires administered, one for the supervisors and the other for the students.

Theoretical Framework: Theorist Patricia Benner

According to the results found, in oursample, thereis a predominance of females 89.17%, with a sex ratio of 0.121. 88.34% are aged between 20 - 21 years and an averageage of 22.4 years. According to the interpretation of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale scores, 17.5% of the trainees have a “Very Low Self-Esteem”, 47.5% have a “Low Self-Esteem”, 25.83% have an “Average Self-Esteem”, and only 9.17% have a “High Self-Esteem”. In addition, more than half of the respondents, 53.33%, state thatthey “often” have difficultytaking the initiative in the traineeshipenvironment, while 30.83% do not have such difficulty but “rarely”. Indeed, 53.33% of confirmedsupervisorssaythatthey “often” have difficultytaking the initiative in the placement environment

It isnecessary to take into account these obstacles to the trainee’s training through better psychological supervision, which could be the first steptowardssolving the problem

No significant relationships.

Resilience has attracted much attention, not least since the pandemic. It is characterised by a person’s ability to bounce back from adversity. Although there is no exact definition of what adversity means, it assumes that the individual is aware of the event. Here, we would like to challenge this preconception by putting forward a case of an individual who shows remarkable resilience without being aware of his disadvantages.

We present a case of a fully-functioning middle-aged man with corpus callosum agenesis of which he has been unaware. We sought to demonstrate that personality traits which have been associated with resilience may not necessarily be characteristic of a resilient individual.

T.C. is a 44-year-old individual who enrolled as a healthy participant in a research study at the University of Cambridge, which involved cognitive and personality assessments and a structural brain scan.

T.C.’s psychological profile portrayed a well-balanced man who had attained a high level of education, stable employment, a healthy personal life and good community integration. T.C.’s cognitive performance fell well within normal ranges, but was superior in terms of self-control, as measured by the stop-signal task. To our surprise, he scored below-average on questionnaires of resilience and sense of coherence beliefs and reported subclinical tendencies of obsessive-compulsive behaviours.

Resilience does not require awareness of adversity. Our case report shows that resilience may present itself fairly normally and may go unrecognised in daily life. Hardship should not be limited to traumatic events but also include brain abnormality.

No significant relationships.

The term “Sexual and Gender Minorities” includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and/or asexual populations. It was introduced in the MeSH Database in 2018. Mental health research on sexual and gender minority populations is gaining momentum.

To describe mental disorders among sexual and gender minorities.

This is a review of the literature via Medline. The database was searched using the keyword combination “sexual gender minorities” OR “homosexuality” OR “bisexuality” OR “transgender persons” OR “intersex persons” AND “mental disorders”. The filters applied were Full text, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review and in the last 5 years.

A total of 59 articles were included. The lowest rates of depression and anxiety were reported among heterosexual people. Depressive symptoms, suicidality, interpersonal trauma exposure, substance use disorders, anxiety, and general distress have been consistently elevated among transgender and gender non-conforming people. Among transgender people, the prevalence of binge drinking ranged from 7%-61%. Depression was the most frequent mental disorder among sexual minority men (43.2%) followed by anxiety (32.2%), suicidal ideation (21.2%), suicide plans (6.2%) and suicide attempts (7.3%). Eating disorders were more frequent among sexual minority women compared with heterosexual peers. Compared with heterosexual youth, sexual minority youth had 123% to 623% higher odds of lifetime substance use, 82% to 317% higher odds of depressive symptoms and suicidality and 20% to 280% higher odds of violence victimization.

The prevalence of mental disorders is high among sexual and gender minorities for whom mental health prevention and treatment programs are needed.

No significant relationships.

Oral health behavior is based on an acquired experience and cultural traditions. University education may smooth out cultural differences in oral health practice.

Our goal is to study self-reported oral health attitudes and behavior of university students and the cultural basis for it.

We used the English version of the Hiroshima University Dental Behavioral Inventory to carry out an online survey of 136 university students of Morocco and Russia.

Over half of the students (60.3%) do not feel anxious when visiting a dentist. Most of them take care of their gums (41.2%), teeth color (49.3%) and the degree of their cleanness (38.2%). The overwhelming majority of the students brush their each tooth very thoroughly (62.5%), they regularly examine their teeth in the mirror after brushing them (90.4%). They are well aware that tooth brushing alone cannot prevent a gum disease (63.2%), and they feel concerned about the possibility of having bad breath (73.6%). At the same time, over half of the students (61.7%) put off their visit to a dentist until they have a toothache, which is a negative behavioral factor. We did not reveal any gender or cultural differences between the students of the two countries, which can be regarded as a universalization factor of oral health behavior in young people who get higher education in universities.

The majority of the surveyed Russian and Moroccan university students have similar patterns of oral health attitudes and behavior. This assumption needs verification on a larger sample of students.

No significant relationships.

The new adoption law, which was introduced in Greece in 2018, brought radical changes in adoption.

This presentation aimed to investigate the emotions of the prospective stepparents, based on the changes which were effectuated by the new law of adoption.

This survey was conducted through mixed methodology. Quantitative research was addressed to investigate the emotions of the to prospective stepparents. Qualitative research was addressed to social workers and its goal was to depict their opinion about the new law and the prospective stepparents’ expressed emotions.

The findings of the survey have demonstrated that the stepparents had a variety of emotions that changed throughout the adoption process. The dominant feelings of parents at the first visit with the social worker were stress and anxiety. However, at the end of the training process, these feelings were replaced by confidence and impatience. This emotional rotation of prospective stepparents was confirmed in the social workers’ interviews. In addition, social workers interviews highlighted the importance of the amendment of the old law of adoption’s process.

To sum up, this research has shown the importance of the new law and therefore the significance of its right application from all children’s placements in Greece. Nevertheless, it seems that due to the recent application of the new law, many placements have not yet complied with it and therefore there is urgent need for reinforcement of its application, according to the guidelines of the European Union that demanded gradual deinstitutionalization using the alternative types of child care.

No significant relationships.