Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and health-related quality of life among university students in Turkey.

The COVID-19 health crisis has reached pandemic scale spreading globally. The present study examines the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on psychological and physical health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among university students in Turkey. A cross-sectional survey design was used for data collection. From May 11th to May 15th 2020, the study utilized snowball sampling techniques to gather data through an online survey. The pandemic's psychological effects on participants were measured by the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 and the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey assess related HRQOL were used to make mental health assessments. 1120 university students were contacted to complete the survey. Of these, a total of 1095 completed the survey, translating to a participation rate of 97.7%. Overall, 64.6%, 48.6% and 45.2%, and 34.5% of all participants self-reported symptomatic signs of depression, anxiety, stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), respectively. Female gender and poor family relationships were identified as risk factors for probably PTSD, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress as well. The mean scores of Physical Component Summary (PCS-12) and Mental Component Summary (MCS-12) were 66.99 ± 2.14 and 40.76 ± 2.31, respectively. Students suspected of a history with PTSD had considerably lower total scores for PCS-12 and MCS-12, when cross checked for similarity to those without such a history. The findings of this research suggest that evidence of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress is commonly apparent among university students during the period of the COVID-19 crisis. Prevention and intervention approaches to attenuate the psychosocial impact should be an integral component of crisis response during pandemic conditions.

Sleep disturbances in school-aged children 6-12 years during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey.

PURPOSE: Sleep disturbances in childhood are an important pediatrics problem because of their influence on children's health and their strong correlation with behavior problems. The aim of the present study was to explore sleep disturbances during the COVID-19 pandemic in school-age children. DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design was used for data collection. From 1 to 15 February 2021, the study utilized snowball sampling techniques to gather data through an online survey. Parents of 1040 6-12-year-old schoolchildren completed the Socio-demographic Information Questionnaire and the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to pinpoint factors connected to sleep disturbances. RESULTS: The prevalence of sleep disturbances among 6-12-year-old children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey was 55.5%. The most common sleep disturbances were bedtime resistance, sleep onset delay, and sleep duration. The children's ages, family relationships, and eating habits were linked to their sleep disturbances. Moreover, our results indicated that sleep disturbances were more common in the children of parents who felt helpless, apprehensive, and frightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Our work showed that the prevalence of sleep disturbances among school-aged children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey was quite high. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Parents who are worried that their child is sleeping too much or too little should consult their healthcare provider for assessment of a probable sleep disturbance. School nurses should be educated children and their parents about the importance of enough sleep and factors that contribute to inadequate sleep among children during the COVID-19 pandemic.