Assessment of abuse and related factors in older patients with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Older cancer patients are more likely to present with functional dependency, multiple comorbidities, polypharmacy, malnutrition, and cognitive dysfunction than their younger counterparts which increases the risk of elder abuse. Herein, in this single-institution observational study, we aimed to determine the frequency and risk factors of abuse in cancer patients aged 70 and above. METHODS: A total of 217 cancer patients aged ≥ 70 years who applied to the medical oncology outpatient clinic between June 2020 and January 2021 were included in this study. Informed consent was obtained before data collection. The Hwalek-Sengstock Elder Abuse Screening Test (H-S/EAST) was used to evaluate elder abuse. Sociodemographic characteristics and clinical measurements were collected. RESULTS: The mean age was 75.5, and 59.4% were male. The prevalence of abuse risk in older patients with cancer was 39.2%. In the multivariate logistic regression model, applying to the outpatient clinic for treatment (OR: 3.369, 95% CI: 1.455-7.802, p = 0.005), living in urban (OR: 5.787, 95% CI: 2.377-14.090, p < 0.001), history of falls (OR: 4.587, 95% CI: 1.789-11.762, p = 0.002), and being depressed according to the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15) score (OR: 10.788, 95% CI: 4.491-25.914, p < 0.001) were associated with an increased risk of elder abuse. Primary/junior education level and high school/university education level were protective against elder abuse risk compared to being illiterate (OR: 0.073, 95% CI: 0.025-0.210 and OR: 0.213, 95% CI: 0.056-0.806, respectively). CONCLUSION: Cancer patients aged ≥ 70 years had a high risk of elder abuse. Elder abuse should be screened in patients with cancer, and the effects of this phenomenon on cancer care should be investigated in larger studies.

Forced migration-related traumatic experiences and collective memory in Ezidi asylum-seekers coming to Diyarbakir province from Shingal region.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the collective memory of Ezidi asylum-seekers who migrated from Iraq to Turkey in 2014. METHODS: Kurdish-speaking Ezidi participants of 25-65 years of age (ten male and ten female) who have arrived to Fidanlik Camp in Diyarbakir, Turkey from the Iraqi Shingal region have been included in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured in depth interviews and qualitative content analysis was conducted on the collected data. RESULTS: The word "edict", which was used to define violent attacks, had a significant importance in all participants' memories. The collective memory observed in the Ezidi society leads a collective fear. Homelessness and religious discrimination are other concerns observed in the population. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, due to the depth and strength of the oral narrative tradition in the Kurdish culture, a significant collective memory is formed within the Ezidi society. Accumulation of previous negative events may prevent Ezidis to form a healthy identity. Traumas of the Ezidis should be investigated in more detail, and studies with larger scopes should be conducted in the future.