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About us

 

Alena Slezackova, Ph.D.

  • Associate Professor of Psychology at Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University
  • Founder and coordinator of the Czech Positive Psychology Centre (CPPC)
  • Member of the Executive Board of the European Network for Positive Psychology (ENPP)
  • Member of the Council of Advisors of the International Positive Psychology Association IPPA 

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Current scientific interests

Mental health, Well-being, Hope, Mindfulness, Posttraumatic growth

 


Education

  • 2022: completion of the evidence-based course Resilience Practitioner Certificate (School of Positive Transformation, Dr. Itai Ivtzan)
  • 2019: completion of the course Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy I. (Amir H. Imani)
  • 2019: completion of the 8 weeks course Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction MBSR (Michal Dvořák)
  • 2017: completion of the course RESCUR Resilience Programme (Prof. C. Cefai, University of Malta)
  • 2014: Habilitation in General psychology (Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic)
  • 2010: Positive Psychology Masterclass (Bristol, UK)
  • 2009 Ph.D. in Clinical psychology (Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic)
  • 1997: MA in Clinical psychology (Dept. of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University)
  • 1997: obtained the Certificate of Teaching Ability

 

Professional practice

  • since 2020: Associate Professor and Deputy Head of the Dept. of Psychology and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
  • 2014-2020: Associate Professor, Dept. of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
  • 2008-2014: Assistant Professor at the Dept. of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University Brno, Czech Republic
  • 2008-2012: Research Associate at the Inst. of Psychology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
  • 2001-2007: Psychologist at the Institution of Social Care for Disabled Children, Brno
  • 2000: Lecturer at Dept. of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Masaryk University
  • 1999: Psychologist at the Home for Elder People, Brno
  • 1998-1999: Personnel manager at a business company, Brno


 

Research projects funded by grant agencies

  • 2022 - 2025: Validation of the effectiveness of the eHealth mobile application to support mental health in reducing stress and preventing stress-induced changes in the psycho-neuroendocrine-immunological network in breast cancer patients after completed adjuvant chemotherapy (MOU-MindCare). Ministry of Health of the CR, NU22-09-00056
  • 2019-2022: Decision about care at the end of life (DECAREL). TACR TL02000360.
  • 2013-2016: Health-Enhancing and Health-Threatening Behaviour: Determinants, Models, and Implications. Grant No. GA13-19808S (Project team member)
  • 2010-2014: Studying Optimal Development Longitudinally: Potential of Prague and Brno Studies on Life-span Development. Grant No. 407/10/2410 of the Czech Science Foundation (Project team member)
  • 2008-2012: Psychosocial Needs and Quality of Life in Healthy Siblings of Paediatric Cancer Patiens. Grant No. 406/09/1255 of the Czech Science Foundation (Project team member)
  • 2007-2010: Quality of Life Longitudinal Study in Paediatric Oncology Patients (QOLOP). Grant No. 406/07/1384 of the Czech Science Foundation (Project team member)


 

Organizational activities in the scientific community

 


Membership in scientific associations:

  • European Network for Positive Psychology ENPP
  • International Positive Psychology Association IPPA
  • International Association of Applied Psychology IAAP
  • Czech-Moravian Psychological Society CMPS


 

All publications and conference presentations: http://is.muni.cz/osoba/24238?lang=en#publikace

 

Selected publications on Positive Psychology:

 

LIPTÁKOVÁ, S., SVĚTLÁK, M., HYTYCH, R., MATIS, J., SLEZÁČKOVÁ, A. & ŠUMEC, R. (2022). Signing up is not yet mindfulness practice: A systematic review of adherence to eHealth and mHealth mindfulness-based programs in the pre-pandemic period. Československá psychologie, 66(3), 233-254. 
https://ceskoslovenskapsychologie.cz/index.php/csps/article/view/58

 

SVĚTLÁK, Miroslav, Šárka DAŇHELOVÁ, Barbora KÓŠA, Alena SLEZÁČKOVÁ a Rastislav ŠUMEC (2021). Self-compassion in medical students: a pilot study of its association with professionalism pressure. BMC Medical Education. 21, 500 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-02930-2

 

SVĚTLÁK, M., LINHARTOVÁ, P., KNEJZLÍKOVÁ, T., KNEJZLÍK, J., KÓŠA, B., HORNÍČKOVÁ, V., JAROLÍNOVÁ, K., LUČANSKÁ, K., SLEZÁČKOVÁ, A., & ŠUMEC, R. (2021). Being Mindful at University: A Pilot Evaluation of the Feasibility of an Online Mindfulness-Based Mental Health Support Program for Students. Frontiers in Psychology. Lausanne: Frontiers, 1664-1078. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.581086/full

 

SLEZÁČKOVÁ, A. (2020). Jak pracovat s nadějí u pokročile onkologických pacientů  (How to work with hope in advanced cancer patients). Klinická onkologie, 33 (Suppl 1), 138-141. Plný text: Jak pracovat s nadějí u onkol.pacientů_A.Slezackova,2020.pdf.

 

Slezáčková, A., Guse, T., & Prošek, T. (2020). The role of perceived hope in harmony in life among Czech and South African adults. In R. K. Pradhan & U. Kumar (Eds.), Emotion, Well-being and Resilience: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Applications".(pp. 77-94). Apple Academic Press, Taylor & Francis Group.

MATIS, J., SVETLAK, M., SLEZACKOVA, A., SVOBODA, M., & ŠUMEC, R. (2020). Mindfulness-Based Programs for Cancer Patients via eHealth and mHealth: A Systematic Review and Synthesis of Quantitative Research. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(11):e20709. DOI: 10.2196/20709. URL: https://www.jmir.org/2020/11/e20709

 

Heintz, S., Ruch, W., Aykan, S., Brdar, I., Brzozowska, D., Carretero-Dios, H., Chen, H.-C., Chlopicki, W., Choi, I., Dionigi, A., Ďurka, R., Forg, T. E., Gusewell, A., Isler, R. B., Ivanova, A., Laineste, L., Lajčiaková, P., Lau, C., Lee, M., Mada, S., Martin-Krumm, C., Mendiburo-Sequel, A., Migiwa, I., Mustafi, N., Oshio, A., Platt, T., Proyer, R. T., Quiroga-Garza, A., Ramis, T., Saftoiu, R., Saklofske, D. H., Shcherbakova, O. V., Slezackova, A., Stalikas, A., Stokenberga, I., Torres-Marin, J., & Wong, P. S. O. (2019). Benevolent and corrective humor, life satisfaction, and broad humor dimensions: Extending the nomological network of the BenCor across 25 countries. Journal of Happiness Studies. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10902-019-00185-9

 

Stecz, P., Slezáčková, A., Millová, K., & Nowakowska-Domagala, K. (2019). Predictive Role of Positive Mental Health for Attitudes Towards Suicide and Suicide Prevention: Is the Well‑Being of Students of the Helping Professions a Worthwhile Goal for Suicide Prevention? Journal of Happiness Studies, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00163-1

 

Slezáčková, A., Cefai, C., & Prošek, T. (2018). Psychosocial correlates and predictors of perceived hope across cultures: a study of  Czech and Maltese contexts. In A. M. Krafft, P. Perrig-Chiello, & A. M. Walker (Eds.), Hope for a Good Life. Results of the Hope-Barometer International Research Program. Social Indicators Research Series (pp.165-197). Cham: Springer. ISBN:978-3-319-78469-4. 

 

Slezackova, A., Cefai, C., Cejkova, E., & Gassmann, S. (2018). The role of life values in subjective well-being among Czech and Maltese university students. Psihološka obzorja, 27, 35–47. https://doi.org/10.20419/2018.27.483

 

Čejková, E., Slezáčková, A., Choubisa, R., & Vijayalakshmi, V. (2018) Life values and subjective well-being among Indian university students: Scrutinizing the omnipresent North-South divide. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 44(2), 238-248. ISSN: 0019-4247.

 

Slezáčková, A. (2017). Hope and Well-being: Psychosocial Correlates and Benefits. University of Malta: Centre for Resilience & Socio-Emotional Health. ISBN: 978-99957-890-1-5.

 

Slezáčková, A. & Sobotková, I. (2017). Family Resilience: Positive Psychology Approach to Healthy Family Functioning. In Updesh Kumar (Ed.) (2016). The Routledge International Handbook of Psychosocial Resilience, pp 379-390. Routledge. ISBN-10: 1138954888.

 

Slezackova, A. & Krafft, A. (2016). Hope – A Driving Force of Optimal Human Development. In J. Mohan & M. Sehgal (Eds.). Idea of Excellence: Multiple Perspectives (1-12). Chandigarh: Panjab University.  ISBN 81-85322-59-7

 

Tenklová, L. & Slezáčková, A. (2016).  Differences between Self-forgiveness and Interpersonal Forgiveness in Relation to Mental Health. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, JIAAP, July 2016, Vol. 42, No. 2, pp 193- 201. ISSN: 0019-4247

 

Singh, K., Jain, A., Kaur, J., Junnarka, M., & Slezáčková, A. (2016). Cross-cultural differences on Gunas and other well-being dimensions. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, Elsevier, 2016, 24, Sep 2016, pp. 139-146. ISSN 1876-2018. doi:10.1016/j.ajp.2016.09.001.

 

Slezáčková, A. (2015). Boosting hope. In L Bormans (Ed.) . The World Book of Hope. Tielt, Belgium: Lannoo, s. 104-107. ISBN 978-94-014-2360-1.

 

Oudenhoven, J. P. Van, De Raad, B., Timmerman, M.E., Askevis-Leherpeux, F., Boski, P., Carmona, C., Choubisa, R., Del Carmen Dominguez, A., Bye, H.H., Kurylo, A., Lahmann, C., Mastor, K., Selenko, A., Slezáčková, A., Smith, R., Tip, L., & Yik, M. (2014). Are virtues national, supranational, or universal? SpringerPlus, Germany: Springer, 2014, roč. 2, č. 3, 223. ISSN 2193-1801. doi:10.1186/2193-1801-3-223.