The validity and reliability of Turkish version of separation anxiety symptom inventory and adult separation anxiety questionnaire.

AIM: The aim of this study is to evaluate the validity and reliability of Separation Anxiety Symptoms Inventory (SASI) that assess childhood separation anxiety retrospectively and Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire (ASA). METHOD: The study sample included a group of 410 participants comprised of 282 adult psychiatric outpatients with anxiety and/or major depressive disorders according to DSM-IV criteria and 128 nonpsychiatric control subjects. The presence of psychiatric disorders was determined by using the M.I.N.I. (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview). Structured Clinical Interview for Separation Anxiety Symptoms (SCI-SAS), Separation Anxiety Symptoms Inventory (SASI), Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire (ASA), Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS), "Sensitivity to Separations" subscale of Panic Agorapfobic Spectrum Scale (PAS-SR), Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) were also given. FINDINGS: The validity assessments of the instruments revealed that SASI and ASA discriminated the psychiatric patients from control subjects. Both instruments displayed high correlation with SCI-SAS and PAS-SR, a moderate correlation with ASI and PDSS. Factor structure assessments revealed the existence of 3 factor for SASI and 5 factor for ASA. Both SASI and ASA has a high level of internal consistency (Cronbach alfa coefficients are 0.89 and 0.93 respectively) and their test-retest reliability is fairly good. RESULTS: Turkish versions of SASI and ASA were found to be valid and reliable. Results indicate that those instruments can be used in clinical studies for surveying adult separation anxiety disorder and determining its severity.

Quality of life, anxiety, and depression in Turkish colorectal cancer patients.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study is to investigate variations in quality of life as a function of depression and anxiety scores of colorectal cancer patients with Beck depression and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scoring system. DISCUSSION: One hundred ten patients with colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy who presented to Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Oncology between January 2004 and April 2007 were included in this study. The series of forms including the questions regarding the demographic characteristics of the patient, Turkish version of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Turkish version of the STAI, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (EORTC-QLQ-C30; version 3) were completed during face-to-face interviews by trained interviewers to determine the psychological status and quality of life of the patients. The mean Beck depression scores were 11.2 +/- 9.0 (range 0-44) and the mean STAI scores were 41.9 +/- 8.8 (range 22-71). Of the patients (Beck depression scores >or=17 points), 23.6% were determined as depressive. The EORTC-QLQ-C30 function scales and global quality of life scores of the depressive patients (BDI >or= 17) were significantly lower than that of the nondepressive patients (BDI < 17). EORTC-QLQ-C30 symptom scale scores (excluding of the diarrhea) of the depressive patients were significantly higher than that of the nondepressive patients. The patients with low STAI scores (STAI < 45) had significantly higher EORTC-QLQ-C30 function scales and global quality of life scores than the patients with high STAI scores (STAI >or= 45). EORTC-QLQ-C30 symptom scale scores of the patients with high STAI scores were significantly higher than that of the patients with low STAI scores. In the present study, we detected that anxiety and depression were strongly associated with poor quality of life in Turkish colorectal cancer patients.

Quality of life, anxiety and depression in Turkish breast cancer patients and in their husbands.

The aim of the present study is to investigate anxiety and depression levels and quality of life of Turkish breast cancer patients and their husbands with Beck depression, STAI scoring system, and EORTC-QLQ-C30 quality of life scale. Fifty-five patients with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy who applied to Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Oncology, and their husbands were included in this study. The series of forms including the questions regarding the demographic characteristics of the patient, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and EORTC-QLQ-C30 (version 3) were completed during face-to-face interviews by trained interviewers for determination of the psychological status and quality of life of the patients. The mean Beck depression scores of patients and their husbands were 13 +/- 9.3 (range 2-46) and 7.9 +/- 5.7 (range 0-27) (P = 0.001). The mean STAI scores of patients and their husbands were 44.9 +/- 8.7 (range 20-58) and 41.7 +/- 8.0 (range 26-59) (P = 0.09).Twenty-nine percent of the patients and 5.4% of the husbands (Beck Depression scores > or = 17 points) were determined as depressive. It was determined that the EORTC-QLQ C30 physical and social function scales of the patients were significantly lower than their husbands. The difference of global quality of life scores and other function scales (role, cognitive, emotional function scales) between patients and their husbands were not significant. It was found that depression of breast cancer patients were significantly higher than their husbands. But there was no significant difference between the EORTC-QLQ C30 global quality of life scores and STAI scores of the breast cancer patients and their husbands.

Burnout in nurses and physicians working at an oncology department.

PURPOSE: Burnout is associated with decreased job performance and commitment, predicts stress-related health problems, and low career satisfaction. The specific objectives in our study were to assess the levels of burnout and to investigate the interrelationships between demographic characteristics and burnout health-care professionals working with cancer patients in Turkey. METHODS: A questionnaire-based study was conducted in 77 physicians and 56 nurses working in an oncology clinic at the university hospital. We used quantitative survey to assess burnout levels in participants as well as sociodemographic variables. Data were collected using a Turkish version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). RESULTS: Nurses had significantly higher scores of emotional exhaustion (EE) when compared with the physicians, but no significant difference was found between two groups regarding other burnout components. Significant correlations were found in three different components of the MBI, as well as between each component, age and work experience in nurses and physicians. There were statistical significant differences for each of MBI subscales according to age groups in physicians. EE and depersonalization (D) were significantly higher in the < or =29 years of age group than in the older age groups, while personal accomplishment (PA) score was significantly lower in this age group. EE, D, PA were significantly higher in single physicians compared with married physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Low level of PA was relatively high among Turkish physicians and nurses working in oncology department compared with previous studies. Younger and single physicians had higher burnout levels compared with older and married ones.