Research and practical activities
Author of over 100 scientific publications in Bulgarian and foreign publish houses. Participated in over 80 national and international events.
My scientific research, applied work and practice include the following:
1. Social medicine – health prevention.
2. Gerontology and geriatry.
3. Pedagogical and psychological issues in the field of healthcare.
4. School teaching.
5. Psychotherapy.
Social medicine – health prevention
My main work in this field is my habilitation thesis on the topic: „Social-medical problems and approaches to prevention of anorexia and bulimia”.
Scientific Contributions
- For the first time in Bulgaria a comprehensive social-medical study of psychogenic food disorders has been conducted and an assessment has been made of the probability of occurrence and the condition of anorexia and bulimia under the influence of various predisposing, triggering and maintaining factors.
- A profound analysis and evaluation has been made of data from the specialized publications on the efficiency of the main psychotherapy approaches to the treatment of psychogenic food disorders.
- For the first time in Bulgaria a new methodology has been applied for systematic monitoring and psychotherapy of anorexia and bulimia patients according to the Neo-Reichian therapeutic school, and a detailed analysis has been made of the achieved treatment results.
Scientific and applied work
4. A model of anorexia and bulimia risk factors has been developed; it can be applied in the development of specific programs for adolescents, young people and other risk groups of the population.
5. A new complex methodology and set of tools for diagnostics, monitoring and psychotherapy of anorexia and bulimia have been introduced and have demonstrated high efficiency. This allows for introducing the above methodology in hospital and out-of-hospital healthcare.
6. A manual has been developed containing general rules and criteria for good practice in anorexia and bulimia prevention; the manual may be used as a recommended standard in development of specific guidelines for the participants in preventive activities.
7. Practice-oriented models have been presented for raising and upbringing of young children and adolescents in order to achieve correct development and mental health; the models comply with the National Mental Health Program of Bulgaria for the period 2004-2012.
Prevention and rehabilitation of malignant diseases.
Consultant and participant in the first in Bulgaria comprehensive specialized program for prevention and rehabilitation after breast cancer (started in 2003). The objective of the above program is two-fold:
– The prevention (awareness raising and education) activity is targeted to risk groups and breast-cancer patients and their families;
– Improvement of the overall survival rate and increasing the quality of life of mammary gland carcinoma patients by means of involving them in a program for mental, emotional and physical health recovery.
The studies and the analysis of the results under the program have been published and reported at scientific forums in Bulgaria, France, Switzerland and Montenegro.
2. Gerontology and geriatry
The publications consider major medical-psychological and social-medical issues and healthy lifestyle for the third-age group.
Pedagogical and psychological issues in healthcare
The scientific work and applied practical activity is aimed at analysis and implementation of the psychological ideas and practice in the medical and health protection field.
My publications present:
– psychological methods, behavioral techniques and skills applicable in healthcare practice in order to improve healthcare quality;
– research in the field of communication, motivation, job satisfaction, burn out – oriented to the activities of the healthcare managers and medical practitioners: physicians, nurses, obstetricians, medical laboratory operators.
My teaching activity covers the following areas:
1 .Professor at the Medical University of Sofia – Faculty of Public Health, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Medical College “J.Filaretova”.
Training students in Bachelor and Master’s degree curricula in: public health and health management, healthcare management; dental medicine; healthcare; medical cosmetics.
Subjects taught: general psychology, medical psychology; applied psychology; management psychology; medical pedagogy, health education and upbringing methodology; current issues of ageing and old age.
2. Lecturer and supervisor in Bulgarian Institute of Body Psychotherapy. Subjects taught: Introduction to Psycho-body therapies and Neo-Reichian analytical psychotherapy, Evolutive psychology, Clinical psychology and Psychopathology, Psychosomatic
