Psychosocial correlates of substance use among adolescents in Mersin, Turkey.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of psychosocial factors such as peer group, family and academic self-perception on smoking, alcohol and substance use by adolescents living in Mersin, Turkey. The study included a total of 3282 students from the sixth and tenth grades and college. The number of participating students required from each school was obtained through stratification, and by weighing the enrolled student population in each subgroup. The final sample was derived using a simple random sampling technique. A 45-item self-administered questionnaire was used. The questionnaire included questions about socio-demographic characteristics and lifetime and current (i.e. within the past month) use of cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, inhalants and other illicit drugs (heroin, cocaine, sedative-hypnotic drugs, etc.). This study found that: (1) higher socio-economic status of the family increased the likelihood of smoking and alcohol use in adolescents; (2) the prevalence of alcohol use was higher in adolescents whose mothers had a higher educational level and whose mothers and fathers drank alcohol; (3) there was a significant association between substance use and having a peer who used a substance; and (4) the prevalence of smoking was significantly higher in students who perceived their academic performance to be poor. Understanding the role and importance of psychosocial factors associated with smoking, alcohol and substance use will be crucial to develop preventive measures for adolescents.

Association of QEEG findings with clinical characteristics of OCD: evidence of left frontotemporal dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: Our objectives were 1) to determine hemispheric asymmetry and regional differences on the EEGs of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); and 2) to investigate the effects of sex, treatment response, illness duration, and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) scores on quantitative electroencephalographic (QEEG) measurements. METHOD: We recorded EEGs (12-channel) from 22 unmedicated patients with OCD but no depression and from 20 age- and sex-matched control subjects. All patients and control subjects underwent detailed neurological and psychiatric evaluations including the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Y-BOCS. RESULTS: QEEG revealed higher frequencies of slow-wave bands and lower frequencies of alpha activity at predominantly left frontotemporal localization in patients with OCD, compared with control subjects. Analysis of variance of QEEG parameters and clinical characteristics showed that sex had a significant effect on delta and alpha frequencies of frontotemporal areas during hyperventilation (HV). Increasing total Y-BOCS score correlated positively with increased frequencies of right parietal delta activity and decreased frequencies of right frontotemporal alpha activity during HV. A significantly increased left frontal slow-wave activity and decreased beta activity during HV in treatment responders led us to consider that frontal lobe functions were better in this group of patients. Illness duration had no important effect on QEEG. CONCLUSION: Patients with OCD showed important frontotemporal dysfunction, predominantly in the left hemisphere. This was particularly evident in female subjects and in treatment responders. QEEG may be beneficial in understanding the neurobiological basis of OCD.