The risk factors of possible PTSD in individuals exposed to a suicide attack in Turkey.

The aims of this study were to determine both the rate of possible PTSD in individuals who were exposed to a suicide attack in Ankara, Turkey, and the factors that relate to the elevated risk for PTSD in individuals who survived that suicide attack. The researchers carried out the study with 93 participants who had attended a meeting held in Ankara on October 10, 2015. Participants completed a sociodemographic information form, the Traumatic Stress Symptom Checklist (TSSC), the Post-Traumatic Cognitions Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Influence of Perceived Societal Attitudes Questionnaire (IPSAQ). Twenty-three of participants were determined to have possible PTSD (24.7%). Participants who were exposed previously to a suicide attack, who witnessed a life-threatening injury, who had the need for psychological help, and who had suicidal thoughts had significantly higher rates of possible PTSD. The IPSAQ, BDI, and TSSC scores were significantly higher in the participants with possible PTSD. The IPSAQ score was found to be related to the development of possible PTSD. This study demonstrated that in participants who had been exposed to a terrorist attack, the negative impact of perceived societal attitudes toward the victims was related to the possible development of PTSD.

An analysis of changes in cerebral blood flood velocities in depressive pseudo-dementia and Alzheimer disease patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients with pseudo-dementia are at particular risk of being labeled as Alzheimer dementia. We thus need better diagnostic methods. In this study, we evaluated the cerebral reactivity of the posterior cerebral arteries (PCAs) during visual stimulation by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. METHODS: The study group consisted of 13 and 11 patients suffering from pseudo-dementia and Alzheimer disease (AD), respectively, and 10 healthy controls. Visual reactivity was defined as the differences of cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFv) against the visual stimulus. Mini Mental State Examination and Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scales were used as psychometric tests. The transcranial Doppler ultrasonography device was applied for simultaneous recording of both PCAs. Obtained data were evaluated by Student t test, and 1-way analysis of variance tests, with a priori as P<0.05. RESULTS: Subjects with AD had a lower CBFv following visual stimuli (P<0.001). Mean CBFv throughout the procedure [P<0.001; right and left sides, in AD and depressive pseudo-dementia (DPD), respectively], velocity at rest (P<0.001 in each side for both groups), and velocity at stimulation (P<0.001; each side for both groups) on both PCAs were significantly lower in patients with AD and DPD than those of the controls. Compared with the controls, the relative (r) CBFvs (%) were found to be significantly lower in AD (P<0.05, P<0.01, for the right and left side, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that CBFv decreased in patients with AD and DPD, but vasoneuronal activity was only impaired in patients with AD. On the other hand, although the results do not show significant differences between depressive and demented groups by TCD, further studies will be needed for differentiating these diseases.

A gender-oriented comparison between the mental health profiles of Bulgarian immigrants forcibly migrated to Turkey and the native population 15 years after migration.

UNLABELLED: Background. The considerable problem of the migration of people, mainly from developing or undeveloped countries to developed countries, is a worldwide issue. The aims of this study were to compare, according to gender, scores obtained pertaining to mental symptom distributions of Bulgarian immigrants arriving in one city of west Turkey in 1989 with those of native-born citizens, as well as to the scores obtained from the scales of anxiety, hopelessness, job and life satisfaction. Methods. During the period of study between 1 February and 31 April 2003, short symptom inventory, state and trait anxiety scales, and hopelessness, job, and life satisfaction scales were collected from 85 immigrants living in a district where immigrants are prevalent. The results of 98 of the native population living in the same district were also collected during the same period. Data were analyzed using chi-square, t, Mann-Whitney U-tests, and percent ratios. RESULTS: Upon comparison of the scores of both immigrant women and native women, and immigrant men and native men, no differences were found between scores obtained from the subscales of short symptom inventory, state and trait anxiety scales, and hopelessness and job satisfaction scales (p>0.05). The only observable difference was between scores obtained from the life satisfaction scale (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively). The depression subscale of the short symptom inventory revealed a difference in the scores of immigrant women compared to immigrant men, as did the somatization subscale for native-born women when compared to native men (p<0.05 and p<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: That both male and female immigrants had low scores for life satisfaction forces us to draw the conclusion that their expectations, necessities, desires and wishes were not entirely fulfilled. The reason for their being no observable differences between the other scale scores may be attributed to the fact that the immigrant women and men share not only the same ethnic origin, but also historical and cultural ties with those in Turkey. An alternative view could be that those entering the country may have adapted to the environment after the passage of 15 years. Furthermore, the significant difference seen between immigrant women and men, and native women and men in terms of symptoms of depression and somatization, respectively, may be explained through the notion that women perceived migration to be more different, and that native women more readily accepted the thought of physical illness according to mental disorders. Further studies are needed to better explain some of these results.

Gender differences in psychological effect of the August 1999 earthquake in Turkey.

Disasters traumatically expose normal populations to severe threats to life, deaths of relatives and massive environmental destruction. Epidemiological studies found that women would be more vulnerable to disaster than men. In this study, we examined gender differences in short-term psychological effect of the 1999 earthquake in Turkey on adult survivors. A total of 184 subjects (79 males and 105 females) who used a psychiatric service were interviewed within 6-10 weeks after the earthquake. All subjects were assessed using a modified version of the Mississippi Scale for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and four subscales (depression, anxiety, hostility and somatization) of the Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R). Women had higher mean total Mississippi Scale scores than men (84.29 vs. 78.72; P<0.05). Women scored higher on the Beck Depression Inventory and the Beck Hopelessness Scale than men (respectively 16.3 vs. 10.4; P<0.001 and 7.5 vs. 6.0; P<0.05). Women had significantly higher depression (1.40 vs. 0.94; P<0.001), anxiety (1.46 vs. 1.12; P<0.05) and somatization (1.31 vs. 0.84; P<0.001) subscale scores of the SCL-90-R than men. These findings indicate that women may experience more severe psychological reactions than men after a disastrous earthquake.

Identification of violence in Turkish health care settings.

This study sought to investigate the contributing factors to and frequency of violence against health care workers (HCWs) working in western Turkey. The population is composed of a random sample of 1,209 HCWs from 34 health care workplaces. Written questionnaires were given to HCWs at all sites, where staff were instructed to register all types of violence they had experienced. In all, 49.5% of HCWs reported having experienced verbal, physical, or verbal and physical violence, with this total being made up of 39.6% men and 60.4% women. A larger percentage (69.6%) of general practitioners reported experiencing verbal abuse and physical violence by patients and patients' family members or friends. Younger workers, inexperienced staff, and those in emergency services were more likely to report violence. Violence directed toward HCWs is a common occupational hazard. Public health authorities should plan preventive interventions based on the findings of this study.

[Acute stress disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder after motor vehicle accidents]. / Motorlu araç kazalarindan sonra görülen Akut Stres Bozuklugu ve Travma Sonrasi Stres Bozuklugu.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the rates of and factors associated with the development of acute stress disorder (ASD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). METHOD: Forty hospitalized patients who had orthopedic injuries after MVAs and 26 hospitalized patients who had orthopedic injuries without a MVA were included in the study. One month after the MVA, the General Health Questionnare (GHQ) Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnare (PDEQ) and sociodemographic data questionnaire were given to all patients. At 3 and 6 months follow-up the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), HDRS, GHQ, and a questionnaire concerning medical problems caused by the accident along with economic and legal problems were applied. RESULTS: 20% of the inpatients in the MVA group developed ASD in the 1st month, 30% developed PTSD in the 3rd month and 17% developed PTSD in the 6th month, while in the control group none of the patients developed either ASD or PTSD. The MVA group had higher mean GHQ, HDRS and CAPS scores than the controls at the 1st, 3rd and the 6th months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Serious and long-term psychiatric problems are seen after MVAs. Early intervention and rehabilitation are needed for the risk groups determined.

Neurocognitive deficits and quality of life in outpatients with schizophrenia.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationships between neurocognitive deficits and quality of life for patient with schizophrenia. Fifty-seven schizophrenic outpatients (38 men and 19 women) were assessed for neurocognitive deficits using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and all patients completed the PCASEE (P=physical, C=cognitive, A=affective, S=social, E=economic-social, and E=ego functions) questionnaire to assess their quality of life. We assessed psychiatric symptoms using the Schedule for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) and the Schedule for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). We rated the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) for extrapyramidal side effects. Pearson correlational analyses were conducted to assess the relationships among measures of quality of life, neurocognitive functioning, symptoms, and extrapyramidal side effects. There were significant relationships among the total score of the PCASEE questionnaire and the SANS total score and the AIMS total score (P<.001). Small but significant associations were found among the total score of the PCASEE questionnaire and the SAPS total score and a number of nonperseverative errors (P<.05). Negative symptoms and extrapyramidal side effects in schizophrenia appear to have direct impact on the patient's perceived quality of life.