Factors Predicting Mental Health Literacy in Older Adults: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

PURPOSE: To determine mental health literacy (MHL) levels of older adults and the predictive factors of MHL. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted between October and December 2022, with 410 older adults aged ≥65 years. A Personal Information Form and the Mental Health Literacy Scale were used for data collection. Independent samples t test, analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Significant predictors of MHL in older adults were being aged 65 to 69 years, being female, being a university graduate, having an income more than expenses, receiving information from a health professional, interest in mental health, having friends or family members with mental illness, and good perception of health. CONCLUSION: Older adults were found to have low levels of MHL. Mental health professionals should focus on community-based education and interventions to increase the MHL levels of older adults. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx(xx), xx-xx.].

Perceptions of motherhood in mothers of children with disabilities in Turkey: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore how mothers of children with disabilities perceive mothering through metaphor. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in March 2023 with 28 women who had experienced motherhood. The data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form and the Metaphorical Perceptions Form developed by the researchers who reviewed the literature. The women's metaphorical perceptions were obtained by filling in the following sentence: 'Being a mother of a child with disabilities is like/similar to … … … . because … … '.. The interviews were conducted individually using the in-depth interview method and analysed using the descriptive analysis technique. RESULTS: The metaphors created by mothers of children with disabilities were grouped under two main themes: interpretation and challenges. Each major theme contains sub-themes. The main theme of interpretation includes cleansing from sins and divine reward, empowerment, being privileged, and acceptance/change in outlook on life, while the sub-theme of challenges includes constant struggle, stigmatisation, imprisonment/isolation, and uncertainty. CONCLUSION: The women involved in the study produced the most metaphors for their perceptions of being a mother of a child with a disability for the sub-theme of imprisonment/isolation in the main theme of challenges. On the other hand, the least number of metaphors were produced in the sub-theme of acceptance/change in the outlook on life in the main theme of interpretation. According to the results, the perception of motherhood of women with children with disabilities will especially guide midwives who are responsible for the care of children with disabilities aged 0-6 years, and mental health workers.

Gender perception and dating violence attitude of women students of health sciences: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the gender perception and attitude of dating violence of female undergraduate students studying in health sciences departments. METHODS: The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on the online platform between April and May 2022 with 276 midwifery and nutrition and dietetics department students studying at the health sciences faculty of a university. The data were obtained through the "Data Collection Form", "Attitude Scales Toward Dating Violence" and "Gender Perception Scale (GPS)". RESULTS: It was found that the GPS total score average of female students was 102.36 ± 10.73 and was a significant difference, and the attitude of women toward psychological violence applied by women in flirting and the attitude toward psychological and physical violence applied by men in flirting were found to be positively related to the mean of total scores. It was seen that GPS and the attitude of the woman toward psychological violence applied in flirting had a negative relationship with the mean score of the total score (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It was seen that the gender perceptions of the students who participated in the study were positively high. It was found that as the age of the students increased, their gender perceptions increased. It was seen that the average attitude of the participants to dating violence was low, which may be related to their inability to define violence. Gender equality can be adopted for students at every stage of education.

Bereavement Experiences of Families of Elderly Individuals Who Died Due to COVID-19.

This study was conducted to evaluate the bereavement experiences of families of elderly individuals who died due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the qualitative research methods, the case study method, was used in the study. The sample of the research consisted of 19 people who agreed to participate in the research between April and July 2022. The research data were collected using a Personal Information Form and a Semi-Structured Interview Form, which was created to conduct individual in-depth interviews. As a result of the descriptive analysis, four main themes, the ability to perform religious rituals related to the bereavement experience, feelings and thoughts about death, attitudes of those around after death, and coping strategies in the COVID-19 process. It was determined that individuals had difficulty accepting death, felt inadequate about spirituality due to limited religious rituals, had feelings of despair and guilt, and limitedly utilized social support systems.

Sexuality, quality of life and psychological well-being in older adults: A correlational study.

Objective: This study aimed at analyzing the relationship between general health status, quality of life, and sexual life among older adults. Study design: This descriptive-correlational design study was conducted with the participation of 323 (169 female and 154 male) older people at the age of 65 + . The participants were clients of the outpatient services in a general hospital in Istanbul. Data were collected with the General Health Questionnaire, Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale, and Quality of Life Scale. Results: Psychological well-being had no association with sexuality scores whereas quality of life had a significant association. Older people with better quality of life had less sexual dysfunctionality. Participants who were up the 75 years old, who have lower education, lower economic status, unemployed, having chronic diseases seemed to experience higher ASEX scores, meaning that higher sexual dysfunction, lower GHQ scores and lower quality of life level. Conclusions: Sexuality in older people changes over time and continues to hold its importance. Less sexual dysfunction seemed to relate with higher quality of life in older people. Researchers should consider the importance of the quality of life on sexual satisfaction in older people.

Post-traumatic Growth in Cancer Patients: A Correlational Study in Turkey.

This study aims to evaluate the factors that influence post-traumatic growth (PTG), including religious coping and resilience. This descriptive and correlational study involved 111 cancer patients, followed up at a hematology inpatient clinic of a university hospital in Turkey. Religious coping scale, resilience scale, and PTG inventory were used for data collection. PTG was positively associated with negative religious coping and was negatively associated with age. PTG scores were higher for patients without children, who were recently diagnosed, had higher knowledge about the disease, and used negative religious coping.

Experiences of health professionals diagnosed with COVID-19 in coping with the disease.

AIM: This study evaluates the experiences of health professionals diagnosed with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in coping with the disease. BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, health professionals faced various physical and psychological difficulties. Many of them were also infected with COVID-19. METHODS: This study used a descriptive phenomenological approach and was conducted between May and June 2020. The participants were 24 health professionals who were diagnosed with COVID-19. Data were collected by phone using semistructured and in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's seven-step method with the support of MAXQDA software. RESULTS: After the data analysis, the primary codes were extracted, and subthemes were created by categorizing these codes. The subthemes were organized, and themes were created. From the perspective of the participants, four main themes emerged: effects of the disease process on the participants, feelings of the disease process, differences in being infected with COVID-19 as a health professional, and ways to cope with the disease. CONCLUSION: The reactions of the people around them, their feelings and experiences, and their environmental and institutional support systems affected the ways health professionals coped with COVID-19. IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH POLICY AND NURSING: Health managers should provide medical, psychosocial, and legal resources as soon as possible so that health professionals diagnosed with COVID-19 can receive the treatment and care that they need. COVID-19 should be considered an occupational disease by health professionals all over the world.

Intimate partner violence during pregnancy in turkey: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The objective of the present research was to identify the prevalence of and risk factors for intimate partner violence during pregnancy (IPVP) in Turkey by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. DESIGN AND METHODS: In the current research, 22 primary studies published between January 2005 and January 2019 were investigated. FINDINGS: Low educational and income levels of both the woman and her partner, unintended marriage and pregnancy, living in a crowded family, a high number of children and a history of violence, unemployment of the partner, and the consumption of alcohol are the most significant risk factors of IPVP. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This study shows that violence against women, which is a serious problem in Turkey as well as all over the world, also continues in a critical period, such as the pregnancy period.

Turkish Midwifery Students' Fear of Delivery Process.

Introduction: Fear affects a person's decision-making process and causes a midwife to make a wrong decision about normal vaginal delivery and cesarean delivery, so research was carried out in order to determine the fields related to delivering process in which students experience the most fear and feel sufficient. Methods: A descriptive/cross-sectional study was performed between September and October 2017. The sample consisted of 732 students selected with the convenience maximum variation sampling method from six universities studying in the third and fourth years of a midwifery program. The study measured data collected with a questionnaire entitled "Midwives' Fear of Delivery Process". The data were analyzed in with the SPSS for Windows using percentage and mean values and Spearman correlation test. Results: In general, students are more afraid of practices with which they say they have more experience such as vaginal palpation (3.30 (0.884), rs=0.131, P<0.001), and they are less afraid of practices (interventional) with which they have less experience such as breech delivery (1.70 (0.915), rs=0.048, P=0.197) or no experience at all and of cases in which they can get hurt. The students feel most sufficient when performing prenatal and postnatal practices. Conclusion: The results of our study parallel the conclusion in the literature that students are afraid of the fields that they have practiced most. Before clinical practice, instructors can determine students' fears and deficiencies in relation to procedures and areas of practice and can develop approaches for alleviating their fears and weaknesses.

Prenatal and Postnatal Attachment Among Turkish Mothers Diagnosed with a Mental Health Disorder.

The presence of a mental disorder in the mother is one of the key factors affecting attachment. The present study aimed to evaluate prenatal and postnatal attachment among mothers diagnosed with a mental health disorder by comparing them to a healthy group. The patient group included women who received follow-up care in a psychiatric clinic (74 pregnant and 75 postpartum), and the healthy group consisted of women who attended a follow-up polyclinic (118 pregnant and 82 postpartum). Data were collected using questionnaire forms, including the Prenatal Attachment Inventory and the Maternal Attachment Scale. Mothers diagnosed with a mental health disorder were determined to have lower attachment scores than the healthy group, both during the prenatal and postnatal periods. The literature suggests that mothers diagnosed with a mental health disorder showed low maternal attachment scores during pregnancy and/or the postnatal period. Psychiatric nurses should be involved in initiatives that may increase the prenatal and maternal attachment.

Postpartum Depression Prevalence and Risk Factors in Turkey: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common problem with adverse consequences for the mother and the infant. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for PPD in Turkey. In this study, 52 primary studies that were published between January 1999 and January 2015 were examined. The prevalence of PPD was determined through a meta-analysis, and the risk factors were determined through a systematic review. The prevalence of PPD in Turkey was found to be 23.8%. Developed cities had a prevalence of 21.2%, and developing cities had a prevalence of 25%. Just as throughout the world, PPD is a common problem in Turkey. It is more prevalent in developing cities. The following factors were the strongest predictors of postpartum depression: economic status and the employment status of the spouse, planned pregnancy and having a stressor/illness during pregnancy, health problems in the newborn, previous psychiatric illness, problems with family and spouse, reduced social support, and a history of psychiatric illness in the family.

Reciprocal Abuse: Elder Neglect and Abuse by Primary Caregivers and Caregiver Burden and Abuse in Turkey.

The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the neglect and abuse that older people were exposed to by their primary caregivers and the experiences of caregivers' burden and abuse by their charges. This descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 186 individuals over the age of 65 and 136 caregivers. The data were collected using questionnaires to determine neglect and abuse experienced by both older people and caregivers, and the Zarit Burden Scale. Abuse rate of the older people and their caregivers is both high and similar. This study is to make psychiatric nursing professionals aware of the problem of elder abuse and neglect. For researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers in the fields of aging, health, and mental health this study provides important data about elder abuse and neglect.

The Effectiveness of Psychoeducational Interventions in Reducing the Care Burden of Family Members Caring for the Elderly in Turkey: A Randomized Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of psychoeducational intervention that is based on the McGill Model of Nursing in reducing the burden of caregivers and improving self-efficacy and adaptive coping in people who provide care for the older person. METHODS: This study was conducted using a pre- and post-test control group and repeated measures experimental design in a family health center service area located in Istanbul. This study was conducted with 33 caregivers in each group. The data were collected using the questionnaire form, the Zarit Burden Interview, the General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. RESULTS: According to the findings of the study, the post-test Zarit Burden Interview points of the intervention group trained for according to McGill Model of Nursing will decrease compared with the control group after the intervention hypothesis was accepted; the post-test General Self-Efficacy Scale and adaptive subscales of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire scores will increase after the intervention hypothesis was also accepted. CONCLUSION: It was found that the psychoeducational intervention based on the McGill Nursing Model was efficient.

Student nurses' perceptions of aggression: An exploratory study of defensive styles, aggression experiences, and demographic factors.

Throughout the clinical learning process, nursing students' perception of aggression might have implications in terms of their future professional behavior toward patients. Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, we investigated the relationships between student nurses' perceptions of aggression and their personal characteristics, defense styles, and a convenience sample of 1539 experiences of aggressive behavior in clinical practice. Information about the students' personal features, their clinical practice, and experiences of aggressive behavior was obtained by questionnaire. The Turkish version of the Perception of Aggression Scale and Defense Styles Questionnaire-40 were also used. Students were frequently exposed to verbal aggression from patients and their relatives. And perceived patient aggression negatively, perception of aggression were associated with sex, defense styles, feelings of safety, and experiences of aggressions during clinical practice. Of interest is the reality that student nurses should be prepared for untoward events during their training.

Nurses' attitudes towards professional containment methods used in psychiatric wards and perceptions of aggression in Turkey.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine nurses' attitudes towards professional containment methods and to explore the relationship between those attitudes and nurses' perception of aggression. BACKGROUND: Different containment methods are used in psychiatric wards when patients behave aggressively towards others or exhibit self-harm. It is known that in addition to patient-specific and environmental influences, many factors related to the staff influence the choice of containment method. One of these factors is the perception of aggression. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used and the sample consisted of 144 nurses who are employed in a psychiatric hospital in Istanbul and who volunteered to participate in the study. METHOD: Data were collected using a questionnaire addressing the socio-demographic and professional features of nurses and using the attitudes to professional containment methods and Perception of Aggression Scale. RESULTS: While pro re nata medication was used commonly, time-out was infrequently used in the wards. Intermittent observation, pro re nata medication and containment in the psychiatric intensive care unit were the most approved methods. The use of net beds was the least approved method. Nurses who perceive aggression as dysfunctional/undesirable are more likely to approve compulsory intramuscular medication and mechanical restraint. CONCLUSION: These results showed that nurses' perception of aggression is an important factor influencing the choice of a professional containment method. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study might lead to closer critiquing of psychiatric ward nurses' attitudes towards professional containment methods, leading to a decrease in the usage of these methods.

Student nurses' attitudes towards professional containment methods used in psychiatric wards and perceptions of aggression.

The aim of this study was to determine student nurses' attitudes towards professional containment methods used in psychiatric wards and its relation to their perception of aggression. We employed a cross-sectional descriptive design to evaluate nurses' attitudes. Participants included 120 student nurses who were enrolled in psychiatric nursing during their fourth (final) year of education. The 'Attitude to Containment Measures Questionnaire' and 'The Perception of Aggression Scale' were used for assessments. Student nurses exhibited positive attitudes toward 'intermittent observation', 'Pro re nata Medication' and 'Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit', respectively. The least approved method was 'net bed'. The data showed a negative correlation between approval of 'Intra-Muscular Medication' and 'mechanical restraint' with the perception that aggression was dysfunctional/unacceptable. Student nurses who believed that professional containment methods were effective also perceived aggression as less functional/acceptable. These results emphasize the importance of health care perceptions of aggression towards patients and their experience with containment measures.