Emmanouil Papastefanakis

Studies

  • PhD Student. Department of Psychology. School of Social Sciences. University of Crete (November 2012 – Present).
  • Master of Science (MSc) in Clinical Psychology. Department of Psychology. Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. Universiteit Leiden (2008-2010).
  • Bachelor (BA) in Psychology. Department of Psychology. School of Social Sciences. University of Crete (2003 – 2007).

Doctoral Thesis Title

Longitudinal study of cognitive and psychiatric symptoms in autoimmune diseases: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).

Brief Description

This research project has the following five main goals: 1. Examination of cognitive deficits and psychopathology symptoms in newly diagnosed SLE & RA patients in comparison with normal population data. 2. Examination of the progress of the aforementioned deficits and symptoms within one and two years from the baseline assessment (three years, overall). 3. Examination of the relationship among biological variables (e.g. disease severity and damage indices), psycho-emotional factors and cognitive ability in newly diagnosed SLE & RA patients. 4. Examination of the independent effect and the possible interplay of biological variables, psycho-emotional factors, cognitive ability (as assessed in baseline) on the progress of each disease (as assessed in stages two and three). 5. Examination of the moderating effect of self-regulation processes (illness representations and emotion regulation), as assessed in baseline, on the progress of each disease (as assessed in stages two and three). Expected results will possibly contribute to a better understanding of the neuropsychiatric symptoms in SLE & RA and their development and of the patients’ adaptation process as each disease progresses .
Research Funding

Supervisors

  • Panagiotis G. Simos (Supervisor), Professor in Developmental Neuropsychology, School of Medicine, University of Crete
  • Evangelos C. Karademas (Co-Supervisor), Professor in Clinical Health Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Crete
  • Prodromos Sidiropoulos (Co-Supervisor), Assistant Professor in Rheumatology, School of Medicine, University of Crete

Publications

  • Adamichou, C., Nikolopoulos, D., Genitsaridi, I., Bortoluzzi, A., Fanouriakis, A., Papastefanakis, E., Kalogiannaki, E., Gergianaki, I., Sidiropoulos, P., Boumpas, D. T., & Bertsias, G. (2020). In an early SLE cohort the ACR-1997, SLICC-2012 and EULAR/ACR-2019 criteria classify non-overlapping groups of patients: Use of all three criteria ensures optimal capture for clinical studies while their modification earlier classification and treatment. Annals of Rheumatic Diseases, 79 (2), 232-241.
  • Papadaki, E., Kavroulakis, E., Bertsias, G., Fanouriakis, A., Karageorgou, D., Sidiropoulos, P., Papastefanakis, E., Boumpas, D. T., & Simos, P. (2019). Regional cerebral perfusion correlates with anxiety in neuropsychiatric SLE: evidence for a mechanism distinct from depression. Lupus, 28 (14), 1678–1689.
  • Karademas, E. C., Dimitraki, G., Papastefanakis, E., Ktistaki, G., Repa, A., Gergianaki, I., Bertsias, G., Sidiropoulos, P., Mastorodemos, V., & Simos, P. (2018). Emotion regulation contributes to the well-being of patients with autoimmune diseases through illness-related emotions: A prospective study. Journal of Health Psychology.
  • Constantinidou, F., Zaganas, I., Papastefanakis, E., Kasselimis, D., Nidos, A., & Simos. P. G. (2014). Age-related decline in verbal learning is moderated by demographic factors, working memory capacity, and presence of amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 20, 822–835.

Conference Presentations

  • Kafetsios, K., Papastefanakis, E., & Simos, A. (2009, September). Reliability and validity of the Greek version of the Mayer, Salovey & Caruso Emotional Intelligence Scale. Presentation at the 10th European Conference on Psychological Assessment, European Association of Psychological Assessment (EAPA). Ghent, Belgium.

Poster Presentations

  • Ktistaki, G., Papastefanakis, E., Dimitraki, G., Fanouriakis, A., Gergiannaki, I., Bertsias, G., Sidiropoulos, P., Mastorodemos, V., Karademas, E. C., & Simos, P. G. (2015, September). Representations of control, coping strategies and subjective health in autoimmune diseases: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Multiple Sclerosis. Poster presented at 29th Conference of the European Health Psychology Society: Principles of Behaviour Change in Health and Illness. Limassol, Cyprus.