Gender-Related Factors for Depressive Symptoms in Turkish Adolescents.

PROBLEM: Currently more adolescents suffer from mental health problems than compared to the past. PURPOSE: This study was designed to extend the knowledge of depressive symptoms in adolescence and to determine the gender-related factors associated with it. METHODS: The study sample consisted of (N = 487) adolescents. The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-S), and UCLA loneliness scale (UCLA-LS) were completed by the participants. FINDINGS: Among the study population, 26.6% (n = 130) scored ≥ 19 on the CDI, which was the cut-off point. UCLA-LS, hyperactivity and conduct problems, and peer problems subscale scores of SDQ-S were found significantly higher in males (p < .05). Emotional symptoms, pro-social behavior subscale scores of SDQ-S, and a family member, a friend subscale scores of MSPSS were found significantly higher in females (p < .05). For males, loneliness and hyperactivity and conduct problems, while for females, emotional symptoms and loneliness (p < .05) were predictive variables. Pro-social behavior and perceived family member support were protective variables for females scoring high enough to be diagnosed with depression (p < .05). CONCLUSION: We suggest further studies to confirm these results as well as establishing strategies for better detection of depressive symptoms when working on adolescents.

Association between elimination disorders and abusive maternal attitudes.

OBJECTIVE: Enuresis and encopresis, both conditions are very distressful to children and their family members and it is responsible for significant social and psychological consequences in children and adolescents. The present study aims to determine the rate of abusive maternal attitudes towards children and adolescents with elimination disorders (EDs) and to investigate the maternal psychological and socio-cultural factors associated with abusive parenting attitudes. METHOD: N = 180 children with ED were included in the study. Family Assessment Device (FAD), and Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R) were administered to mothers. RESULTS: Our results indicated that prevalence of abusive maternal attitudes in our sample was 73.8%. Children and adolescents with ED who live with low-educated parents (p = 0.008), low socio economic status (p = 0.014), and in cases with living in a large or divorced family (p = 0.014), disorganized or chaotic families can be considered a population at risk (p < 0.05), since it is more likely that they suffer more severe abusive maternal attitudes. CONCLUSION: Present study showed high rates of abusive parenting attitudes in cases of EDs in a sample of Turkish children and adolescents. Further research on the etiological and therapeutic importance of the family in the case of ED referred to a psychiatry clinic should be carried out.

Problematic Internet use was more common in Turkish adolescents with major depressive disorders than controls.

AIM: This study compared problematic Internet use (PIU) rates in 12- to 18-year-olds with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls and explored potential links between PIU and suicide among patients with MDD. METHODS: The study sample consisted of 120 patients with MDD (62.5% girls) and 100 controls (58% girls) with a mean age of 15. Suicide ideation and suicide attempts were evaluated, and sociodemographic data were collected. In addition, the Children's Depression Inventory, Young Internet Addiction Test and Suicide Probability Scale were applied. RESULTS: The results showed that PIU rates were significantly higher in the MDD cases than the controls (p < 0.001). The analysis of covariance results showed that there was no relationship between potential suicide and the Young Internet Addiction Test score in MDD cases. However, the hopelessness subscale scores of the MDD patients with PIU were significantly higher than the scores of those without PIU. CONCLUSION: Our results show that PIU was higher in adolescents with MDD and hopelessness was more prevalent among MDD patients with PIU, but no links with potential suicide were found. As this study was a cross-sectional one, it did not allow us to infer a causality relationship between PIU and MDD.

The association between internet addiction and disordered eating attitudes among Turkish high school students.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study is to investigate the prevalence of disordered eating attitudes (DEAs) and internet addiction (IA) among a non-clinical sample of adolescents and to investigate the relationship between IA, DEAs, and selected socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS: A total of 584 adolescents (34.8% n = 203 males and 65.2% n = 381 females) completed three instruments: the Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26), the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and a socio-demographic questionnaire. RESULTS: It was found that 15.2% (n = 89) of the participants have DEAs, and IA was detected in 10.1% (n = 59) of the participants. There was a statistically significant difference between the IA and non-IA groups in terms of body mass index (χ (2) = 10.31, p < 0.01). We found a significant positive correlation between the IAT and EAT-26 scores (r = 0.34, p < 0.01). The presence of DEAs, male gender, and high BMI were found to be the strongest predictor variables of IA. CONCLUSIONS: IA and DEAs are relatively frequent phenomena among young students in Turkey. Future studies should attempt to determine the predictive factors by identifying the causal relations between IA and DEAs.

Disordered eating attitudes, alexithymia and suicide probability among Turkish high school girls.

We aimed to examine association between disordered eating attitudes (DEAs), alexithymia and suicide probability among adolescent females and to explore potential link between alexithymia and suicide probability in subjects with DEAs. 381 female students completed Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Suicide Probability Scale (SPS). It was found that 13.2% (n=52) of the subjects have DEAs. Results indicated that total TAS-20 score and scores of Difficulty in Identifying Feelings (DIF) and Difficulty in Describing Feelings (DDF) subscales were significantly higher in DEAs group than in those non DEAs group (p<0.05). Additionally, total SPS score (p<0.001), Hopelessness (p=0.001), Suicide Ideation (p<0.001) and Hostility (p=0.003) subscales scores of SPS were significantly higher in the alexithymic DEAs than the non-alexithymic DEAs group. In order to control potential effect of depression, SPS subscales were used as covariate factors in ANCOVA. Negative Self-Evaluation subscale yielded a statistically significant difference between groups, other subscales did not. Results point out these; DEAs are relatively frequent phenomenon among female students in Turkey and presence of alexithymia was associated with an increased suicide probability in adolescents with DEAs. The results should be evaluated taking into account that depressive symptomatology was not assessed using a depression scale.

Autopsy evaluation of coal mining deaths in the city of Zonguldak, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: In this study, our aim was to evaluate the fatal occupational accidents that occurred in Zonguldak coal mines between the years 2005-2008. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 42 fatal coal mine occupational accidents in Zonguldak (Turkey) between the years 2005-2008. The forensic records of autopsies referred to the chief prosecutors' office during 2005-2008 were reviewed retrospectively. There were 42 cases. The cases were evaluated with respect to age, mechanism of injury, body region of wound, cause of death, and legality of the mine. RESULTS: Ages of the deceased ranged between 17 and 52 (median: 32.9 yrs). Deaths were mostly in the 21-30 (35.8%), and 31-40 (30.9%) age groups. Only 1 case was younger than 18 years of age. Review of occupational fatalities has revealed that fatal accidents occurred mostly (76.2%) in the private, and fewer (23.8%) in the public mining enterprises. Crime scene investigation findings have demonstrated that of all occupational deaths (total n=42), 27 (64.3%) were due to subsidence, followed by methane gas poisoning (n=6, 14.2%), tram crash (n=3, 7.1%), log falls (n=2, 4.8%), electrocution (n=2, 4.8%), and methane explosion (n=2, 4.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite laws and regulations concerning mining and because of problems in their implementation, Turkey leads the world in work-related accidents, occupational injuries, and deaths. Evaluation of autopsy findings of deaths in fatal occupational accidents occurring in coal mines is quite important in planning to decrease rates of occupational fatalities.

Fire-related fatalities in Istanbul, Turkey: analysis of 320 forensic autopsy cases.

In this retrospective autopsy study fire-related deaths whose autopsies were carried out in the Council of Forensic Medicine in Istanbul, Turkey were analyzed in order to evaluate the relationship between the mode of the death and the laboratory and autopsy findings. There were 320 fire-related fatalities constituting the 2.07% of all autopsy cases of that period. Of the 320 cases 228 (71.3%) were males and 91 (28.4%) were females, average age in age-determined group was 36.6 (SD: 21.98) ranging from 8 months to 98 years. Carbon monoxide intoxication played role in death of 104 cases (32.5%) either directly or together with other factors such as burning and lack of oxygen. In 32 cases (10.0%) burning was the only cause of death and in 90 cases (28.1%) burning and related complications during treatment period caused death. In 35 cases (10.9%) traumatic factors other than those related to fire were responsible for death. There were 31 cases of homicide (9.7%) and 20 cases of suicide (6.3%). Accidents constituted the majority of the cases in our autopsy population with a frequency of 51.9%. The relationship between the presence of soot in trachea or esophagus and the mode of death and that of CO-Hb and the mode of death was statistically significant. The internal findings and laboratory data of the study population were discussed particularly on the basis of the decision of vitality in burned cases.