The Mediating Role of Organizational Commitment on the Relationship Between Emotional Labor and Work Engagement of Teachers.

This study aims to investigate the mediating role of teachers' organizational commitment (OC) on the relationship between their emotional labor (EL) and work engagement (WE). The study employed a cross-sectional design. The sample of the study consisted of the teachers working in Sakarya province of Turkey. They participated in the study voluntarily and responded scale items online. The findings showed that teachers' perceptions of EL, OC and WE is relatively high. Also, there are statistically significant and positive correlations among variables. On the other hand, the findings confirmed the hypotheses. Teachers' EL predicts their OC and WE. Additionally, OC predicts WE and plays a mediating role on the relationship between EL and WE. Based on the findings some suggestions were made.

A Survey Focusing on Lucid Dreaming, Metacognition, and Dream Anxiety in Medical Students.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to examine the level of lucidity and its relation with metacognitive beliefs and dream anxiety in medical students. METHODS: Nine hundred sixteen medical students were enrolled in the study. The participants were assessed with the Lucidity and Consciousness in Dreams Scale (LuCiD), the Metacognition Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), and the Van Dream Anxiety Scale (VDAS). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in mean total lucidity score between females and males, but there were some significant sex differences in subscales of lucidity, and control was significantly higher in male students, while realism, thought, and dissociation were significantly higher in female students. In addition, females had more dream anxiety levels, higher total MCQ-30 scores, and higher cognitive confidence and uncontrollability scores according to Metacognition Questionnaire-30 than males. We also found that the mean lucidity level was positively correlated with the mean total metacognition score and the mean total dream anxiety level. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that female medical students tend to have more realistic dreams (p=0.018), have more logical thoughts during dreaming (p=0.011), and have a more dissociative experience during dreaming (p=0.028), while male medical students have more controlled dream events (p=0.002). There seem to be differences according to lucidity features between sexes, and the relationship between subdomains of lucidity and metacognition might lead to new therapeutic approaches to several psychiatric disorders such as anxiety disorders.

Does plasma phoenixin level associate with cognition? Comparison between subjective memory complaint, mild cognitive impairment, and mild Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Alteration in energy expenditure or metabolism is the most accused risk issue for the onset and for the course of neurodegenerative cognitive disorders. Neuropeptides are suggested to be related with learning and memory. Phoenixin (PNX) is the most recently reported neuropeptide and we aimed to compare the plasma level in people with subjective memory complaints, patients with mild cognitive impairment, and mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Ninety two participants enrolled in the study. After screening tests, all participants were assessed with a neuropsychological battery for further cognitive evaluations. We used ELISA kit to assay the level of Human PNX. RESULTS: Patients with AD were significantly older than people in subjective memory complaint group (p = 0.02). There was no significant difference between groups according to gender (p = 0.435). Mean plasma PNX level was not significantly different between groups (p = 0.279). Mean plasma PNX level in MCI group was positively correlated with BMI (r = 0.402 and p = 0.028), serum HDL level (r = 0.454 and p = 0.012), blood systolic pressure (r = 0.428 and p = 0.018) and negatively correlated with logical memory (r=-0.335 and p=0.031). The mean plasma PNX level was positively correlated with immediate recall in subjective memory complaint group (r = 0.417 and p = 0.034). CONCLUSION: This study is the first studying the association of plasma PNX level and cognitive complaints or decline. The knowledge about the role, interaction, and physiological functions of PNX is lacking. Lower plasma PNX level might be important in prodromal stages as MCI and the predictive role of PNX should be investigated in further studies.

The relationship between sluggish cognitive tempo and burnout symptoms in psychiatrists with different therapeutic approaches.

Burnout is a serious problem for psychiatrists that has implications for clinical practice and personal health. While burnout is known to affect cognitive functions, no studies have examined the relationship between sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) and burnout. This study aimed to examine this relationship and related factors as socio-demographic, occupational environment in psychiatrists. Participants(n=201, aged between 25 and 52 years,57.7% female) completed socio-demographic information form, Maslach Burnout Inventory and SCT Scale. According to our results, we have shown that total burnout scores and emotional exhaustion (EE) scores were significantly higher in psychiatrists with SCT. SCT scores were positively correlated with mean total burnout, EE, and depersonalization scores. We did not find any differences between subgroups according to departments, therapeutic approaches and gender. In conclusion, we want to highlight that psychiatrists with SCT were more proneness to general burnout symptoms and were more emotionally exhausted regardless of their therapeutic approach or their profession as adult or child/adolescent psychiatrists.

Alexithymia in people with subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and mild Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Behavioral and psychological symptoms are widely accepted as accelerator factors in progression to dementia. Although alexithymia is closely related to normal aging process and poor neurocognitive performance, alexithymia has not been included in these symptoms yet. AIMS: Here, we aimed to investigate alexithymia features in people with prominent clinical memory complaints. METHODS: The participants (n = 82) were classified into three groups as: subjective cognitive decline (n = 30), mild cognitive impairment (n = 27), and mild Alzheimer's disease (n = 25) after Mini-Mental State Examination, Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, neuropsychological test battery, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Hachinski Ischemic Scale. All participants were assessed with 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. RESULTS: The patients with mild Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment have significantly greater alexithymia features than individuals with subjective cognitive decline in Toronto Alexithymia Scale (p < 0.05 for all). The alexithymia features in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment did not significantly differ (p > 0.05, for all). DISCUSSION: People who have objective cognitive decline seem to have more alexithymia features than people with subjective cognitive decline. Moreover, alexithymia features seem to be similar in people mild Alzheimer's disease and in mild cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: Alexithymia might be an important searching domain of behavioral-psychological symptoms in people with cognitive problems beyond aging.

The Comparison of Facial Emotion Recognition Ability in Women with and without Premenstrual Syndrome.

Objective: It is emphasized that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) includes affective symptoms, such as depressed mood, anxiety and irritability, all of which may influence the recognition of facial emotion expressions. Also it is known that menstrual cycling may effect facial emotion recognition in healthy females. In the present study, we aimed to investigate how menstrual cycling effects of facial emotion recognition facial emotions in women with and without PMS. . METHODS: Sixty healthy women were included to the study. They were divided two group labeled women with PMS (n=33) and without PMS (n=27), which is accordance with the Premenstrual Assessment Form. Then, The Facial Emotion Recognition Test (56 mixed photos with happy, surprised, fearful, sad, angry, disgusted and neutral facial expressions from Ekman & Friesen's series) was performed on each group in both the luteal and follicular phases. RESULTS: The women with PMS were significantly worse in recognizing sad (p=0.003) and surprised (p=0.019) faces in the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase, whereas women without PMS were significantly worse in recognizing sad faces (p=0.008) in the luteal phase compared to the follicular phase. There were no significant differences between women with and without PMS in either the luteal phases or in the follicular phases according to facial emotion recognition (for each, p>0.05). Conclusion: The women with PMS do not differ from women without PMS in recognizing facial emotions accurately. The low accuracy rate in the recognition of sad and surprised facial emotions in the luteal phase may lead PMS women to have more social problems.

Temperament and Character Traits in Patients with Behçet's Disease with/without Eye Involvement.

PURPOSE: Ophthalmic involvement may lead to permanent vision loss in 25% of cases in patients with BD and it is a main concern in the literature. Although several studies have been investigated, the etiology and the cause of the disease and attacks are not yet known. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between visual impairment and personal characteristics and social circumstances in patients with BD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 153 patients with BD and age-and gender-matched 26 healthy control subjects completed the self-report Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S and STAI-T). We classified the study participants into three groups with respect to severity of eye involvement and one control group. Each group was compared with the other two study groups and control group. RESULTS: According to TCI, we revealed that there was a trend in BD patients with eye involvement + poor prognosis having less disorderliness traits than BD patients with eye involvement + good prognosis (p = 0.016). The BD patients with eye involvement + poor prognosis had significantly lower attachment scores than BD patients with eye involvement + good prognosis (p = 0.005) and healthy controls (p = 0.005). The BD with eye involvement + poor prognosis had lower empathy scores than healthy controls (p = 0.002). In the way of average TCI parameters, only SD was statistically significant. In terms of subdimensions of TCI parameters, RD3, SD3, SD5, and C2 were shown to be statistically significant among some of the groups. CONCLUSION: BD patients with eye involvement were demonstrated to be more extravagant and socially disinterested. It may reflect that severe visual loss caused BD patients to be more systematic, depressive, self-contained, and exhausted. Considering psychological aspects of BD and its visual manifestations may contribute to helping these patients more effectively.

Level of serum thioredoxin and correlation with neurocognitive functions in patients with schizophrenia using clozapine and other atypical antipsychotics.

Thioredoxin is a serum antioxidant that has been investigated in the etiology of schizophrenia. The aim of this study is investigating the relationship between serum thioredoxin levels and cognitive functions in acute psychotic episode and remission state patients with schizophrenia; and examining whether there were differences between patients using clozapine and other atypical antipsychotics; including risperidone, olanzapine and amisulpride. This research was performed in schizophrenia patients hospitalized with acute psychotic episode (n=57), reevaluated patients after the initiation of treatment (mean 16 weeks) (n=46), and healthy controls (n=41). Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Clinic Global Impressions Scale, Neuropsychologic test battery to assess cognitive performance, and serum thioredoxin levels measured by ELISA were used in this research. Serum thioredoxin levels were highest in acute psychotic episode, lower in the remission state and the lowest in healthy controls. Significant correlation has been established between serum thioredoxin levels and Trail Making Test-A performance in remission state patients. In conclusion, serum thioredoxin levels were increased in acute psychotic episode and decreased in remission state, and its relationship with attention is worth to consider in schizophrenia patients.

Facial emotion recognition ability: psychiatry nurses versus nurses from other departments.

PURPOSE: Facial emotion recognition is a basic element in non-verbal communication. Although some researchers have shown that recognizing facial expressions may be important in the interaction between doctors and patients, there are no studies concerning facial emotion recognition in nurses. Here, we aimed to investigate facial emotion recognition ability in nurses and compare the abilities between nurses from psychiatry and other departments. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, sixty seven nurses were divided into two groups according to their departments: psychiatry (n=31); and, other departments (n=36). A Facial Emotion Recognition Test, constructed from a set of photographs from Ekman and Friesen's book "Pictures of Facial Affect", was administered to all participants. RESULTS: In whole group, the highest mean accuracy rate of recognizing facial emotion was the happy (99.14%) while the lowest accurately recognized facial expression was fear (47.71%). There were no significant differences between two groups among mean accuracy rates in recognizing happy, sad, fear, angry, surprised facial emotion expressions (for all, p>0.05). The ability of recognizing disgusted and neutral facial emotions tended to be better in other nurses than psychiatry nurses (p=0.052 and p=0.053, respectively) Conclusion: This study was the first that revealed indifference in the ability of FER between psychiatry nurses and non-psychiatry nurses. In medical education curricula throughout the world, no specific training program is scheduled for recognizing emotional cues of patients. We considered that improving the ability of recognizing facial emotion expression in medical stuff might be beneficial in reducing inappropriate patient-medical stuff interaction.

Facial emotion recognition in psychiatrists and influences of their therapeutic identification on that ability.

OBJECTIVES: Although emotional cues like facial emotion expressions seem to be important in social interaction, there is no specific training about emotional cues for psychiatrists. Here, we aimed to investigate psychiatrists' ability of facial emotion recognition and relation with their clinical identification as psychotherapy-psychopharmacology oriented or being adult and childhood-adolescent psychiatrist. METHODS: Facial Emotion Recognition Test was performed to 130 psychiatrists that were constructed by a set of photographs (happy, sad, fearful, angry, surprised, disgusted and neutral faces) from Ekman and Friesen's. RESULTS: Psychotherapy oriented adult psychiatrists were significantly better in recognizing sad facial emotion (p=.003) than psychopharmacologists while no significant differences were detected according to therapeutic orientation among child-adolescent psychiatrists (for each, p>.05). Adult psychiatrists were significantly better in recognizing fearful (p=.012) and disgusted (p=.003) facial emotions than child-adolescent psychiatrists while the latter were better in recognizing angry facial emotion (p=.008). CONCLUSION: For the first time, we have shown some differences on psychiatrists' facial emotion recognition ability according to therapeutic identification and being adult or child-adolescent psychiatrist. It would be valuable to investigate how these differences or training the ability of facial emotion recognition would affect the quality of patient-clinician interaction and treatment related outcomes.

Changing Trends in Treatment of Acute Mania: Experience of a Tertiary Centre Over a Decade.

We investigated trends over a decade in the prescription of lithium, antiepileptics, and antipsychotic agents at discharge for patients hospitalised for acute mania. We conducted a retrospective review of medical records for 165 inpatients with acute mania who had been hospitalised in Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry during 2001-2002 and 2011-2012. Among 165 patients, prescription of olanzapine at discharge increased from 3 to 46 % (p < 0.001), while prescription of haloperidol decreased from 55 to 21 % (p < 0.001). Use of other atypical antipsychotics did not change significantly (risperidone decreased from 14 to 11 %, p = 0.5; quetiapine increased from 10 to 16 %, p = 0.2). Use of valproate, carbamazepine, and lithium did not change significantly. Use of electroconvulsive therapy in acute mania decreased by half from 27 to 13 % (p = 0.02). Typical antipsychotics alone or in combination with antiepileptics were the most common treatment regimen at discharge at 2001-2002; while 10 years later, they had been largely replaced by lithium or antiepileptics combined with second generation antipsychotics. Antipsychotic agents remained to be an important component of acute treatment of mania in our practice.