Perceived levels of corporate support, colleague support and anxiety in motor courier employees.

OBJECTIVE: The use of motorcycles in commercial transportation is increasing due to its comfortable use in congested traffic conditions and the ease of parking on narrow streets. Motorcycle couriers are among the important members of the delivery industry. The race against time and delivering on time bring along many problems. This study aims to examine the relationships between perceived organizational support, colleague value and stress in motor courier employees. METHOD: Within the scope of the study, 151 motorcycle couriers working in the delivery sector were selected. The study was carried out in the period of June-November 2022. In addition to 15 questions including demographic characteristics with the one-to-one interview method, Spielberger's State and Trait Anxiety Scale, The Perceived Organizational Support Scale and The Coworker Support Scale were applied with the one-to-one interview method. RESULTS: The average age of the 151 couriers included in the study was 29.10 ± 7.01; the working year was 3.26 ± 3.39; the average number of daily trips was 36.47 ± 17.37; the average delivery time was 16.54 ± 10.10 in minutes (median 15); and the average weight of the cargo was 4.94 ± 5.51 (kg) (median: 3.50). The prevalence of occupational accidents in the last year has been 43.3% (n = 61). Examining the causes of the prevalence of accident among the study population, it was found that motorcycle overturning was 20 (32.8%); vehicle hitting the motorcycle was 26 (42.6%); motorcycle hitting the vehicle was 15 (24.6%). When the factors affecting the perceived organizational support were examined, it was found that those with a colleague social support score above 18 were more likely to have an organizational perception score above 80 (95% CI 1.001-4.843) with a rate of [OR] = 2.20 times higher, and those with a status anxiety score above 40 were more likely to have an organizational perception score over 80 with a rate of [OR] = 2.49 times higher (95% CI: 1.156-5.364). In addition, it was seen that the probability of having an organizational perception score above 80 was [OR] = 0.42 times higher (95%CI: 0.200-0.889) in participants who had a work accident. CONCLUSIONS: The intense pace of work and the pressure of fast delivery increase couriers' state and trait concerns. Developing policies to improve the psychosocial working environment for a more decent and healthier working environment that improves the mental health and well-being of couriers is recommended. Commercial food ordering platforms must treat driver safety as important when determining delivery times.

Changes in neuroactive steroids, neurotrophins and immunological biomarkers after monotherapy 8-week rTMS treatment and their relationship with neurocognitive functions in depression.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has proven effective in the treatment of major depression. The underlying mechanisms of action are still poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate the changes in the levels of neuroactive steroids, neurotrophins and immunological biomarkers before and after rTMS treatment and assess the relationship of this change between clinical response and cognitive functions after monotherapy rTMS treatment. Twenty-three patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and 25 matched healthy controls were included in the study. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Trail Making Test A and B forms and Digit Span Test were administered. Biomarkers (BDNF, TNF-α, IL-1ß, NAS) were run in the peripheral blood at the end of the first month that rTMS was administered daily and at the end of the 2nd month when that rTMS was administered once a week. Appropriate conditions were provided so that the relevant biomarkers were not affected by the biorhythm. After rTMS monotherapy, an increase in BDNF and allopregnanolone, a decrease in TNF-α, IL-1ß, DHEA, and DHEA-S levels was found to be statistically significant. The scores on cognitive tests increased with the treatment. Positive significant correlations was found between BDNF levels and cognitive tests at the end of the first and second months. Our findings suggest that the effects of rTMS treatment may be related to the neuroendocrine, neurotrophin, and immunological mechanisms. rTMS treatment is found to have positive effects on cognitive functions in the short term.