Love of life and flourishing in Turkish youth: mediating effects of optimism and hope.

The concept of love of life, which refers to a positive attitude towards one's own life, care for it and attachment to it, has recently captured the attention of researchers in the field of positive psychology. Despite its growing importance, there is a lack of research investigating the underlying mechanisms through which love of life impacts the flourishing and well-being of individuals. For the first time, the present study examined the mediating roles of optimism and hope in the association between love of life and flourishing in Turkish youth. The study comprised 374 young adults, aged between 18 and 24 years (55.3% female; Mean age = 20.94; SD = 1.78 years), who participated in an online survey assessing their levels of love of life, optimism, hope, and flourishing. Results from the mediation analysis revealed that love of life significantly predicted optimism, hope, and flourishing. Furthermore, optimism and hope had significant predictive effects on flourishing. Importantly, optimism and hope played a partial mediating role in explaining the positive influence of the love of life on individuals' flourishing. The findings suggest a positive association between love of life and heightened levels of optimism and hope. These psychological attributes, in turn, emerge as crucial factors contributing to increased flourishing. These results hold significant implications for the development of interventions focused on understanding how to foster the love of life and flourish through the cultivation of psychological strengths.

Cognitive functions and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor in patients with mild autonomous cortisol secretion.

CONTEXT: The impact of abnormal cortisol secretion on cognitive functions in patients with mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS) remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To assess cognitive functions, determine serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentration in patients with MACS, and investigate the association between cognitive subdomains and BDNF. METHODS: We prospectively recruited 84 participants-28 patients with MACS, 28 patients with nonfunctional adrenal adenoma (NFAA), and 28 control subjects matched for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), visceral adiposity, and educational level. The serum BDNF concentration of participants was measured. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition-focused interviews and Montreal Cognitive Assessments (MoCA) were carried out by an experienced psychiatrist. RESULTS: Patients with MACS had a higher serum BDNF concentration than the NFAA (P = .001), while that of patients with NFAA was lower than the controls (P = .044). Linear regression analysis revealed BMI and morning cortisol after overnight 1 mg dexamethasone (DST) were mostly associated with BDNF (P < .05). No significant difference was found in MoCA scores between MACS and NFAA groups (P = .967), whereas those were lower than the control group (P = .004). When the cognitive subdomains were examined separately, MACS group performed higher memory score than NFAA (P = .045), but lower language scores than both the NFAA (P = .024) and control groups (P < .001). In the whole group, BDNF concentration was positively correlated with memory score (r = 0.337, P = .002), whereas DST was negatively correlated with language score (r = -0.355, P = .008). CONCLUSION: Low-grade hypercortisolism is associated with elevated BDNF concentrations, which may be a protective factor for memory function in patients with MACS relative to those with NFAA.

Turkish Adaptation, Validity, and Reliability Study of Shitsu-Taikan-Sho (Alexisomia) Scale.

Background: The Shitsu-Taikan-Sho (Alexisomia) Scale is a self-report scale for measuring alexisomia, defined as the difficulty in awareness and expression of somatic emotions or feelings. The scale is available in Japanese and Finnish versions. This research aims to examine the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Shitsu-Taikan-Sho (Alexisomia) Scale. Methods: The study sample consists of 320 patients who applied to the outpatient clinic of consultation-liaison psychiatry. Participants completed the Sociodemographic Information Form, the Turkish version of the Shitsu-Taikan-Sho (Alexisomia) Scale, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were used for reliability analyses. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and co-validity analyses were used for validity analyses. Results: According to the exploratory factor analysis results, a 3-factor, 18-item model for the Turkish version of the Shitsu-Taikan-Sho (Alexisomia) Scale explained 48.3% of the variance (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin = 0.866; χ 2 = 1535.3, P < .001). Confirmatory factor analysis results indicated a good fit (χ 2 = 234.893; SD = 132; χ 2/SD = 1.779; CFI = 0.927; GFI = 0.923; RMSEA = 0.049). In the co-validity analysis, a significant correlation was found between Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and Turkish version of the Shitsu-Taikan-Sho (Alexisomia) Scale (r = 0.556, P < .001). Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.825 for the total score, 0.711 for lack of health management based on bodily emotions, 0.794 for difficulty in describing bodily emotions, and 0.775 for over adaptation. The interclass correlation coefficient between the 2 measures of Turkish version of the Shitsu-Taikan-Sho (Alexisomia) Scale was 0.883 (P < .001). Conclusion: The Turkish adaptation of the Shitsu-Taikan-Sho (Alexisomia) Scale demonstrated adequate psychometric properties. It is an appropriate scale for evaluating the concept of alexisomia in the population of consultation-liaison psychiatry.

The Effect of the New Type Coronavirus Outbreak on Quality of Life and Suicidal Thoughts in Psychiatric Patients. / Yeni Tip Koronavirüs Salgininin Psikiyatrik Hastalarda Yasam Kalitesi ve Intihar Düsüncelerine Etkisi.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of perceptions on the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life and suicidal ideation in both healthy controls and individuals with psychiatric disorders. METHOD: The study was conducted on 4 different groups with 83 depressive disorders, 90 anxiety disorders and 61 schizophrenia patients who have been followed in Gazi University Medical Faculty Hospital Mental Health and Diseases outpatient clinic since before the COVID-19 pandemic period and another group of 93 healthy volunteers. Participants were evaluated with Sociodemographic Data Form, Suicide Probability Scale (SPS), SF-36 Quality of Life Scale (SF- 36), Perception of COVID-19 Scale (P-COVID-19), and Perception of Causes of COVID-19 Scale (PCa-COVID-19). RESULTS: The perception on the danger and contaigiousness of P-COVID-19 scored lowest in the schizophrenia group, compared to other groups and PCa-COVID-19's Conspiracy and Belief subdimension scores were highest. In all groups, a significant negative correlation was found between the P-COVID-19's dangerousness subdimension score and the SF-36 scale's Mental Health sub-dimension. Again, in all groups, significant positive correlations were found between the Dangerousness sub-dimension score of P-COVID-19 and the anger/impulsivity, hopelessness/loneliness and suicidal thoughts sub-dimensions of the SPS. CONCLUSION: The negative effects of perceptions associated with COVID-19 on mental health were observed both in groups with a psychiatric disorder and in healthy controls. The higher number of participants and longitudinal research will provide a better understanding of the effects of perceptions associated with COVID-19 and will guide the necessary treatment interventions.

The Effect of Defense Mechanisms and Eating Awareness on the Probability of Suicide After Bariatric Surgery. / Bariatrik Cerrahi Sonrasi Intihar Olasiligi Üzerine Savunma Mekanizmalari ve Yeme Farkindaliginin Etkisi.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the relationship between suicide possibilities, defense mechanisms, and eating awareness of patients who have undergone bariatric surgery. METHOD: The study sample consisted of 101 patients who had bariatric surgery in a private hospital. People who had at least six months from the date of surgery, who had no pregnancy, and who did not give birth after surgery were included in the study. The Mindful Eating Questionnaire, Suicide Probability Scale, and the Defense Style Questionnaire were applied to the participants. RESULTS: While the average age of the sample was 52.46±9.72, 54.5% (n=55) were male. Within one year after the operation, 33.7% of (n=34) patients had lost weight between 21-30 kg, while 21.8% (n=22) had lost weight between 11-20 kg. Suicide probability scale scores are predicted by emotional eating (ß=0.272, p=0.004), neurotic defense mechanism (ß=0.284, p=0.003) and current body mass index (ß=0.258, p=0.008). CONCLUSION: The possibility of suicide after bariatric surgery is closely related to emotional eating, neurotic defense mechanisms, and body mass index. The solution to the problem of emotional eating rather than decreasing the body mass index may be more effective in decreasing the suicide possibilities of the patients. Therefore, in patients undergoing bariatric surgery, emotional eating is one of the problems that should be handled both before and after surgery.

Social Media Addiction among Turkish Young Adults Is Partially Mediated by Automatic Thoughts and Social Problem-Solving Skills.

Objective: This study aimed to reveal a process model of the relations between automatic thoughts, dysfunctional attitudes, social problem-solving skills, and social media addiction. In this context, the aim was to investigate the mediating effect of automatic thoughts and social problem-solving skills in the relationship between intermediate beliefs and social media addiction. Methods: This study included 56 male and 107 female young adults aged 18-25 years who were referred to the psychiatry outpatient clinic of Yenimahalle Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. The participants completed sociodemographic data form, social problem-solving inventory revised form, social media addiction scale, dysfunctional attitudes scale short form, and automatic thoughts questionnaire. In the data analysis, the effect and mediation were tested by the process method. Results: Dysfunctional attitudes positively affected social media addiction and automatic thoughts and negatively affected social problem solving. According to this, the effect of dysfunctional attitudes on social media addiction was mediated by automatic thoughts and social problem solving. Conclusion: In this sense, both cognitive and behavioral processes can be useful in the treatment of social media addiction, and cognitive behavioral therapies can be an effective option.

Doctors' Choice of Medical Specialty, Differences Among Schema Theory.

BACKGROUND: In previous studies, the relationship between career choice and psychological factors has been discussed many times. On the other hand, we have less information about interaction between early maladaptive schemas and career choice. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We planned to evaluate the specialty preferences of doctors in the perspective of schema theory. Doctors from the 2 to 10 years of their careers were included in the study. A Sociodemographic data form and Young Schema Questionnaire - Short Form 3 was applied to 275 participants; 167 clinical specialties and 108 surgical specialties. RESULTS: According to our results surgeons scored higher in emotional deprivation, mistrust / abuse, social isolation / alienation, defectiveness / shame, and emotional inhibition. As schema domains, surgeons scored higher disconnection and rejection and excessive responsibility and standards. CONCLUSIONS: Early maladaptive schemas can affect the choice of profession and the ability to adapt. Understanding early maladaptive schemas can play a role both in orientation towards the right career choice and in resolving negative factors related to the work environment.