ACG 150

Dr. Athena Stefanatou

Medical Psychology
Part-time Professor, MS Counseling and Psychotherapy, School of Graduate and Professional Education, Deree College

CONTACT INFO

EDUCATION

Inselspital, Berne, Switzerland (Grant Medical School of Athens)
Post-Graduate Diploma in Cardiac RehabilitationL European Association for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (EACPR)
2008

Medical School of Athens, ATTIKON University Hospital, Athens
PhD in Medicine, Division of Pathology, 2nd University Department of Cardiology
2006 – 2011

Panteion University of Athens
Bachelor in Psychology (PTYHIO), Psychology Department
2001 – 2003

City University, London, UK
MSc, Counseling Psychology
1993 – 1994

Deree, The American College of Greece, Athens
BA, Psychology
1989 – 1993

Research Area: Medical Psychology

Medical Psychology or behavioral medicine focuses on how biology, psychology, behavior, and social factors influence health and well-being.  It is a diverse and rich field exploring relationships of 1) Pain and Methods for Controlling it. Different pain pathways and how they are activated are of great interest in medicine. Pain is something that we all experience, understanding the ways in which we experience pain can help us to mitigate it. 2) Positive Health Behaviors and changes in behavior. 3) The benefits of different types of medical treatments, and how they can be assisted by mindsets and other psychological factors. 4) Different health problems as affected differently by different psychological factors, and therefore, require different psychological interventions. 5) Recovery from illness and readjusting to no longer having the illness. 6) Chronic Illness and attempts towards Rehabilitation. 7) End-of-life care and psychological management. 8) Preventing illness and behavioral change. 9) Stress Management and Performance. 10) Family Health and Safety. Hygiene, childhood immunization, teen suicide and effects of suicide prevention programs, taking care of an aging parent with a chronic disease as related to development to adulthood. 11) Public health and coping with disasters as there are strategies that result in better long-term outcomes.

 

Biography

Dr. Stefanatou has been involved in both teaching and clinical work. Since 1995 she has been working with families and children with chronic illness and/or developmental difficulties (Pediatric Hospital of Athens, ‘Support’ Center) . Since 1998 she has been teaching psychology courses in both the private and the public sector (Medical School of Athens) taking in both research and supervision in her work. In 2008 she embraced the development of the cardiac rehabilitation center of ATTIKON University Hospital in Athens with further training in Inselspital, Berne. In 2015 she joined the faculty of the Graduate School of the American College of Greece as a part time faculty member. Her research interests involve crisis intervention, chronic disease, anxiety and depression in health and illness, developmental psychopathology, development of counseling and psychotherapy protocols in Health Care.

Publications

Deree Graduate School Affiliated:

Flouda E, Stefanatou A, Apergi,T. Intervention Options: Depression & Cardiovascular Disease during Covid-19. International  Cardiovascular Forum Journal 2020;21:7-13.

Gangos CJ, Stefanatou A. Retinitis pigmentosa and adjustment disorder in a clinical case. NursPalliat Care 3 2018.

Sakellariou MO, Stefanatou A. Neurobiology of PTSD and implications for treatment: An overview. Curr Res Integr Med 2017; 2(1):50-53.

 

Medical School of Athens Affiliated:

Stefanatou A, Oikonomidis I,  Kouris N, Lekakis I, Kremastinos D, Nana M. Anxiety is related to increased carotid intima-media thickness in patients with first acute myocardial infarction. European Heart Journal 2010; Vol.31:231

Stefanatou A, Kouris N, Lekakis J. Treatment of depression in elderly patients with cardiovascular disease: research data and future prospects. Hellenic J Cardiol. 2010 Mar-Apr;51(2):142-52.

Stefanatou A. Smoking cessation in cardiovascular patients. Hellenic J Cardiol. 2008 Nov-Dec;49(6):422-31.

Stefanatou, A. Childhood Depression after surgery: current research. Notebooks of Psychiatry. 2007; 99:81-84.

 

City University, London Affiliated:

Stefanatou A. Use of drawings in children with pervasive developmental disorder during hospitalization: a developmental perspective. J Child Health Care. 2008 Dec;12(4):268-83.

Stefanatou A, Bowler D. Depiction of pain in the self-drawings of children with sickle cell disease. Child Care Health Dev. 1997 Mar;23(2):135-55.