10 October, World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day reminds us that mental health is just as important as physical health.
For the Panhellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association, the psychological empowerment of patients and caregivers is a constant priority and an essential pillar of support for our community. Mental health is particularly critical in a difficult disease like Cystic Fibrosis, which requires constant management and mental resilience, both from patients and their families.
From 2022 in collaboration with the volunteer psychologist Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Stavroula Rakitsi, the Association offers free of charge to patients (transplanted and non-transplanted) and caregivers from all over Greece the online group cognitive behavioral psychological support program “Unlimited Breath”.
The program is entirely online via Zoom.
The positive results of the programme are presented every year at the Panhellenic Cystic Fibrosis Conference. In fact, they have recently been recognized internationally, with the publication of the results in the Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, a major achievement for our community!
Rakitzi, S., Spinou, A. & Giannaki, K. The Effectiveness of an Online Group Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapy in Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association in Patients and Caregivers.J Rat-Emo Cognitive-Behav Ther 43, 50 (2025)
See the publication in the journal here: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-025-00611-3
New Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Study (2026-2028)
Based on the scientific results of the previous years, the Association will start a three-year clinical study from January 2026, aiming to compare the cognitive behavioural psychological support programme with control groups.
The study will be officially registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and will be conducted by volunteer psychologist Dr. Stavroula Rakitzis and volunteer psychologist Irini Pavlidis.
Participating patients and caregivers will be randomly allocated to four treatment and control groups at the following times:
- 09:30-11:00: caregiver therapy group (Stavroula Rakitzi)
- 11:15-12:45: Treatment group for patients with Cystic Fibrosis (Stavroula Rakitsi)
- 13:00-14:30: Cystic Fibrosis patient control group (Irini Pavlidi)
- 15:00-16:30: caregiver control group (Irini Pavlidi)
All groups will be conducted online via Zoom, will have 13 sessions and each session will last 90 minutes.
The start of the clinical study groups is scheduled for Saturday 17 January 2026.
How can I participate in the Clinical Study?
- 10/10/2025 – 20/12/2025: Interested parties should register in the form below ➜ https://www.cysticfibrosis.gr/dilosi-symmetochis-omades-psychologikis-ypostirixis/
- 15/11/2025: Individual interviews with Ms Rakitzis will begin. What does this mean? You will have an individual online session with her, where you will be explained the clinical trial, asked for written informed consent to participate in the study, and have the opportunity to discuss with her the problems you are having and how the teams can help. We will not know at this stage which group you will belong to.
- You will then be sent the written consent for you to sign. Once you have sent it signed to Ms. Rakitzi, she will then send you some questionnaires to fill out and send back via email. You will complete the questionnaires before treatment, after treatment and 6 months after treatment. You will be contacted for this by Mrs Rakiji.
- Your written consent is mandatory in clinical trials. Your data will be used anonymously and mainly for the presentation of results. (example: So many women participated, so many men, married, working and these are the test results…)
- 21-22/12/2025: The lottery will be conducted by Ms Rakitzi and Ms Pavlidi, in order to determine in which group each interested patient and caregiver will participate.
- 17/01/2026: Online sessions of the clinical study groups will start every Saturday.
Stable Psychological Support Groups for older members
At the same time, for patients and caregivers who have already completed a previous course of treatment with Mrs.Rakitzis, the Association offers free of charge new groups of stable psychological support with psychologist Irini Pavlidis.
These groups will take place online via Zoom and will start from Monday 19 January as follows:
- Patients: every Monday, 18:00-19.00
- Caregivers: every Thursday, 19:00-20:00
Those interested can fill in the participation form ➜ https://www.cysticfibrosis.gr/dilosi-symmetochis-omades-psychologikis-ypostirixis/
More information or any questions about the teams and the participation procedure:
📧 info@cysticfibrosis.gr
📞 211 0137700
🌐 www.cysticfibrosis.gr
Statements
Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Stavroula Rakitzi, Psychologist – Scientific Program Manager
“Mental health is just as important as organic health.
It is the duty of specialists to provide evidence-based interventions aimed at improving psychopathology, quality of life and recovery.
My voluntary activity in the Panhellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association started in 2022 and continued in 2023, 2024 and 2025. In 2026 we continue with the new clinical study, in collaboration with Mrs. Irene Pavlidis, whom I thank very much. Mental health specialists are required to participate in voluntary activities. Volunteering fights poverty and increases social cohesion.
My volunteer action is dedicated to the memory of little Nikola† and his parents†.
I would like to thank all the members of the Board of Directors of the Panhellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association from 2022 until today and especially the President, Mrs. Anna Spinou, for our excellent cooperation. The cystic fibrosis community is a living cell of the Greek society and at the same time a social model of action and assertion, which reminds us that nothing is self-evident in life. On the other hand, there are no dead ends in life. The best answer to the fear of death is action for life! Congratulations on their work.”
Anna Spinou, President of the Panhellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association – Patient with Cystic Fibrosis
“As a Cystic Fibrosis patient, I know first-hand how crucial mental resilience is to the course of the disease.
Mental health is not a luxury. It is an integral part of our treatment and our daily struggle in Cystic Fibrosis.
We warmly thank Stavroula Rakitzis for her continuous and invaluable volunteer contribution to our Association and to the Cystic Fibrosis community and we welcome the volunteer psychologist Irini Pavlidis, who from this year onwards participates even more actively in the work of our Association.
Our community proves that through cooperation and action we can turn fear into strength and mental vulnerability into hope to continue our fight for Unlimited Breath.”
Konstantina Giannaki, Vice President of the Association – Mother of a child with Cystic Fibrosis
“Psychological support is not only about the patients, but also about us, the caregivers.
We need tools and strength to support our children every day and to deal with the stress and difficulties that a challenging disease like Cystic Fibrosis brings.
We are deeply grateful for the work of our volunteer psychologists, Stavroula Rakitsi and Irini Pavlidis, who consistently and lovingly embrace our community.
The psychological empowerment of families with Cystic Fibrosis is the foundation for a better quality of life and hope for the future.”
