Outcomes of genital hygiene and anxiety training for mothers of girls with profound intellectual disabilities: A randomized controlled experiment.

Female children with profound intellectual disabilities (IDs) may experience symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and depend on others' care. However, their caregivers may lack general hygiene skills and experience heightened anxiety when their care is expected. This study reports outcome of a training that aims to enhance genital hygiene skills and decrease anxiety levels of mothers of girls diagnosed with profound ID. The study was conducted in a city located in Turkey in 2020. It was designed with a randomized controlled experimental approach based on a pre-test and post-test model with experimental and control groups. The sample consisted of 66 mothers of girls who were diagnosed with profound ID, did not have UTI but were at high risk of developing it. A 6-week program with 24 sessions was implemented. After the training, mothers in the experimental group changed the sanitary pad and the underwear during menstruation and gave their daughters a bath more frequently; had a higher knowledge of recognizing and preventing UTI symptoms and cleaning of the perineum area; and had significantly lower levels of anxiety. A carefully designed simulator-based training can enhance the knowledge and skills of mothers to recognize the UTI symptoms, apply their knowledge to prevent the symptoms and implement genital hygiene practices, which in turn have a positive effect on reducing their level of anxiety.

Care burden and resilience in parents of children with special needs and chronic diseases.

AIM: Comparison of care burden and resilience levels in parents of children with special needs and chronic diseases. METHODS: This study, designed with a cross-sectional and relationship-seeking design, was conducted in a Training and Research Hospital in Turkey. Data was obtained from parents of children with special needs (n = 102) and chronic diseases (n = 102) who presented to the outpatient clinic for routine follow-up between October 2022 and February 2023. The consecutive sampling method was used while choosing the sample. The "Descriptive Characteristics Questionnaire," "Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale (ZCB)," and "Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA)" were used to collect data. Data were evaluated using the SPSS 22.0 statistical program. RESULTS: The burden of care in parents differed significantly between the two groups (p < 0.001), the majority of parents of children with chronic diseases (PCCD) had a mild/moderate care burden, and the majority of parents of children with special needs (PCSN) had a moderate/severe level of care. The care burden scores and total resilience scores were found to be higher in the PCSN group, and the care burden scores and total resilience scores were found to be lower in the PCCD group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This research determined that PCSN showed more care burden and less resilience than PCCD. In this context, it is recommended to regularly monitor the resilience, caregiver burden, and quality of life of caregivers of children with special needs and conduct preventive and strengthening programs.

The effect of internalized stigmatization on care burden in adolescent psychiatric patients and their parents.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of internalized stigma perceived by adolescents with mental disorders and their families, on the burden of care on their families. Methods: The study was conducted in a descriptive and correlational desing with adolescents and their parents who applied to the child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic between March 1 and June 1, 2022. A total 101 adolescents and 101 parents who met the sampling criteria and agreed to participate in the study. Only 1 parent per adolescent was included in the study. Results: It was found that the mean age of the adolescents was 15.05 ± (1.80), 57.4% were female and 56.4% were secondary school graduates, and 26.7% of the adolescents, all of whom were unemployed, were diagnosed with a mood disorder, 50.5% had received outpatient treatment previously, and 22.8% had chronic diseases. It was found that the mean age of the parents who participated in the study was 45.53 ± (6.48), 77.1% were female and 28.7% were secondary school graduates. Also, 22.8% of the parents had a chronic disease, 28.7% had a chronic disease in their family and 32.7% had another family member in need of care, and 17.0% of the parents had received training on mental disorders previously. It was found that the parents' total means ZBI score was 42.74 ± (11.92). When the ZBI total scores were examined in terms of sociodemographic variables, no significant differences were found between the groups according to the variables. There was only a weak, positive and significant relationship between the age of the parents and in the present study, it was found that adolescents with mental disorders and their families experienced internalized stigmatization and this stigmatization increased the care burden on parents. Discussion: Mental health and psychiatric nurses can facilitate this population's access to treatment by planning and implementing psychosocial interventions to reduce the internalized stigma of children and adolescents and their families.

The effect of education given to Turkish adolescents with Familial Mediterranean fever on anxiety, depression, and quality of life.

To examine the effects of individual education given to Turkish adolescents with Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) on anxiety, depression, and quality of life. The randomized controlled experimental study was performed on 70 adolescents aged 12-18 years who were diagnosed as having FMF between October 2021 and April 2022 in Turkey. The disease management education was offered individually to adolescents in the intervention group with a booklet entitled "FMF is under my control;" no intervention was applied to adolescents in the control group. The training booklet was prepared by the researchers in a multidisciplinary team and was finalized by taking expert opinions. In the data collection process, a personal information form, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAI-CH), the children's depression inventory (CDI), and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) were used. After applying the scales specified in the pretest, individual training was given and the posttest was performed 2 months later using the same scales. After the education, there was a statistically significant decrease in the mean CDI score of the intervention group (p < 0.05), whereas there were statistically significant increases in mean scores obtained on PedsQL and its sub-scales (p < 0.05). However, the decrease in the mean STAI-CH score of the intervention group was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the mean STAI-CH, CDI, and PedsQL scores of the control group after the education (p > 0.05).  Conclusion: The effectiveness of the individual education program for adolescents with FMF in improving quality of life and reducing levels of depression within the scope of disease management has been confirmed. It is recommended that all health professionals working with children with FMF regularly provide individual or group-planned education programs. What is Known: • The unpredictability of FMF attacks has a very negative effect on adolescents. • Individual education programs on FMF focus on children with a holistic approach. What is New: • To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first study to evaluate disease management education given to adolescents with FMF. • This is a pioneering study of the use of nurses in the education of adolescents with FMF and in fulfilling their educational roles.

Parental Attitudes and Childhood Traumas as Predictors of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in University Students.

Background: In this study, we aimed to examine the predictive effects of parental attitudes and childhood traumas on obsessive-compulsive symptoms in university students. Methods: This cross-sectional and correlational study was performed with the participation of 780 students. The data collection tools were a "Descriptive Information Form," the "Padua Inventory," the "Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-28," and the "Parental Attitude Scale." Results: The results of the regression analysis revealed that perceived protective/demanding (ß = 0.959; P < .001) and authoritarian (ß = 0.439; P < .001) parenting attitudes and childhood traumas (emotional neglect ß = 0.905; P = .049; physical abuse ß = 1.464; P = .002; emotional abuse ß = 2.152; P < .001; sexual abuse ß = 0.812; P = .030) constituted a positive and significant predictor of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Conclusion: Evaluation of parental attitudes and childhood traumas and interventions aimed at predicting the obsessive-compulsive disorder-related consequences of parental attitudes and childhood traumas can help alleviate obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. Involving families in treatment approaches such as psychoeducation and psychotherapy for childhood trauma victims with obsessive-compulsive disorder and cooperation with families can positively affect treatment processes. Nurses with the roles of direct care, support, education, and counseling have important standing in running psychoeducation groups. In particular, academic psychiatric nurses can identify risky students and provide counseling and psychoeducation to university students.

First Aid Training Program for Families With Children With Intellectual Disabilities: Effects on Knowledge, Anxiety, and Stress.

The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of a first aid training program for parents of children with intellectual disabilities on their levels of first aid knowledge, anxiety, and ability to cope with stress. A pre-/posttest control group experimental design was used. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, First Aid Knowledge Form, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Ways of Coping Inventory. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, means, standard deviations, and difference tests. Mean first aid knowledge score in the experimental group increased after training (p < 0.001) and mean anxiety score decreased (p < 0.001). Regarding the subscales of coping with stress, a significant increase was found in the mean score of the self-confident approach (p < 0.001), whereas a significant decrease was found in mean scores of the helpless and submissive approaches (p < 0.001) after training in the experimental group. Findings highlight the practicality and need for a first aid training program, which should be implemented to strengthen the skills of parents of children with intellectual disabilities. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 60(9), 37-45.].

Compassionate communication levels of nursing students: Predictive role of empathic skills and nursing communication course.

PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the compassionate communication levels of nursing students and the predictive roles of empathic skills and nursing communication courses. DESIGN AND METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted with 430 nursing students and data were analyzed using a descriptive information form, Compassionate Communication Scale (CCS), and Empathic Skill Scale (ESS). FINDINGS: A positive relationship was found between the students' ESS and CCS scores (r = .23 p = 0.001). Empathic skills (ß = 0.43, p = 0.001), predicted compassionate communication (ß = 0.23, p = 0.001), compassionate conversation (ß = 0.43, p = 0.001), and compassionate touch (ß = 0.18, p = 0.001). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Skills of compassion and empathy positively affect each other; therefore, it is important to adopt strategies that strengthen the empathic skills of nursing students during academic education and to include empathy and compassion in the curriculum.

Attitudes promoting coping with death anxiety among parents of children with disabilities.

We investigated death anxiety among parents of children with disabilities and its associations with coping attitudes and psycho-demographic factors. Surveys were administered to 382 parents of children who possess a severe disability and data were analyzed via descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that parents experienced high levels of death anxiety; the level of death anxiety changed according to some psycho-demographic factors, such as external support, type of disability, and death-related beliefs; and death anxiety was significantly explained by demographic variables, death-related thoughts, and experiences, and adaptive and maladaptive coping attitudes.