Objective: To validate a Greek version of the structured self-reported 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) and determine its psychometric properties in patients with chronic illnesses. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a small public hospital and a public health care centre, in a rural town in western Greece. The sample consisted of 100 patients with various chronic illnesses. Data were collected between January-May 2011, on the Greek version of the MMAS-8 and Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ). Results: Scale's reliability analysis revealed an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.753 and the corrected item to total correlations, were greater than 0.30 for each of the 8 items comprising the medication adherence scale, showing good internal consistency. Convergent validity was supported by a significant correlation between the present scale's total score and the BMQ-Specific Necessity score (Spearman's rho = 0.492, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The current study showed acceptable reliability and validity of the Greek version of the 8-item MMAS to measure adherence to medications for various chronic illnesses. The validated Greek version of the MMAS-8 can help towards understanding adherence barriers in Greece so as to develop effective strategies to increase adherence and reduce the costs.

It has been widely suggested that depression negatively affects patients with cardiovascular disease. There are several pathophysiological mechanisms as well as behavioral processes linking depression and cardiac events. Improvements in nursing and medical care have prolonged survival of this patient population; however, this beneficial outcome has led to increased prevalence of depression. Since mortality rates in chronic heart failure patients remain extremely high, it might be as equally important to screen for depression and there are several valid and reliable screening tools that healthcare personnel could easily employ to identify patients at greater risk. Consultation should be provided by a multidisciplinary team, consisting of cardiologists, psychiatrists, and hospital or community nurses so as to carefully plan, execute, and evaluate medical intervention and implement lifestyle changes. We aim to systematically review the existing knowledge regarding current definitions, prognostic implications, pathophysiological mechanisms, and current and future treatment options in patients with depression and cardiovascular disease, specifically those with heart failure.

Objective To investigate possible correlations between stigma and burnout of nurses and non‐graduate professional caregivers of elderly with dementia in nursing homes. Background Research on dementia stigma in health care professionals as well as its relationship with their well‐being is seriously lacking. Methods This cross‐sectional study involved a convenience sample of 171 nurses and other professional caregivers in 16 Greek elderly care units who responded to Maslah Burnout Inventory (ΜΒΙ) as well as the Family Stigma in Alzheimer's Disease Scale (FS‐ADS). In order to find adjusted associations between independent variables and the stigma and burnout of professional caregivers, multiple linear regression analysis was used. Results Cognitive, emotional and behavioural attributions of the three dimensions of stigma were found to be independent predictive factors of burnout's dimensions which indicate that stigma nurses deposit on patients, contributes towards their burnout. Conclusion Educational preparation of geriatric nurses should provide them with the option of seeing dementia as a normal stage of life since reducing stigma can contribute towards preventing and managing professional burnout. Implications for Nursing Management In order to reduce burnout, nurse managers should design lifelong learning programs on the basis of changing the stigmatizing negative cognitive and emotional attitudes of professionals towards dementia.

Managers ought to establish ways of improving the regulation and monitoring of illegal private duty nurses, in order to optimize the health, safety and wellbeing of patients.

Background: Expatriation and relocation into a new cultural context constitute a psychological journey marked by exposure to potentially traumatic events, the abandonment of the homeland and the effort of seeking safety and a new beginning at all levels. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the Professional Quality of Life in Greek health professionals working with refugees and migrants. Methods: The Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL V) and a demographic and work-related characteristics questionnaire were distributed to 90 health professionals working with migrants and refugees. Results: 25.6% of participants reported high CF risk while 75.7% expressed high to moderate potential for CS. Awareness of the factors associated with CF may help health professionals to prevent or offset the development of this condition. Conclusion: A compassionate organizational culture, clinical supervision and on-going education may protect health professionals working with migrants and refugees from absorbing or internalizing unmanageable emotions which may lead to compassion fatigue and also help them to gain a deeper understanding of their communication and interactions during the emotionally laden moments of trauma care.