Healing After Violence: The Effect of Perception of Social Support on Posttraumatic Growth in Female University Students.

This study investigated the Turkish validity and reliability of the Healing After Gender-based Violence Scale (GBV-Heal) and the relationship between social support perception, posttraumatic growth in university students who are victims of gender-based violence. The study sample consisted of 167 female students who experienced gender-based violence. The Turkish version of GBV-Heal of Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value was 0.892; the Bartlett Sphericity Test result was determined as χ2 = 195,053, and the obtained variables were found suitable for factor analysis. Perception of social support related to post-violence healing in female university students is effective on posttraumatic growth.

Psychometric evaluation of the Social Support Questionnaire for Transactions in Turkish gender-based violence sample.

AIM: This study aims to investigate the reliability and predictive validity of the Social Support Questionnaire for Transactions (SSQT) scale. DESIGN: A psychometric design using cross-sectional data. METHOD: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted between February-June 2021 using snowball sampling through an online survey panel. 204 Turkish survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) participated in the research. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 35.66 ± 12.50. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis examined the construct validity of the SSQT scale. The principle axis factoring (PAF) estimation method was performed, including oblique rotation (Promax) for EFA, and the diagonally weighted least squares (DWLS) estimation method was used for CFA. Test-retest reliability coefficients (r) were moderate to excellent, ranging from 0.48 to 0.88. The analyzes supported the 5-factor solution, and the reliability was evaluated with Cronbach's Alpha coefficients for Social Friendship, Daily Emotional Support, Problem-Oriented Emotional Support, Daily Instrumental Support, and Problem-Focused Instrumental Support sub-dimensions, and the total score of SSQT showing 0.87, 0.84, 0.90, 0.73, 0.83, and 0.93, respectively. The relationships between sub-dimensions of SSQT showed moderate positive correlations ranging from 0.40 to 0.60. There were weak negative correlations between SSQT and PHQ-9, PHQ-15 and GAD-7, ranging from -0.20 to -0.34, which shows the external validity of the SSQT. CONCLUSION: The relationships between sub-dimensions of SSQT and PHQ-9, PHQ-15, GAD-7 are given in the results support using the SSQT scale as a research and clinical instrument for assessing women who had experienced GBV and have/have not received social support in Turkish culture.

Initial testing of components of the cultural determinants of trauma recovery (CDTR) theory amongst American Gender-Based violence survivors: Structural equation modelling.

AIM: We tested key hypotheses derived from the Cultural Determinants of Trauma Recovery Theory (CDTR) with an American sample. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study using anonymous online surveys. METHODS: This study was conducted with 225 American survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) between August to November 2019. Demographics, distress (depression: PHQ8; PTSD: PCL-5), mental health service utilization (counselling and medication), sense of coherence (SOC), internal barriers to help-seeking (shame, frozen and problem management subscales: BHS-TR Internal) and the GBV healing (GBV-Heal) were used. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted to test the hypotheses. RESULTS: The final SEM model showed that the relationship between distress and mental health service utilization was not mediated by internal help-seeking barriers; the relationship between distress and trauma healing was partially mediated by internal help-seeking barriers; the relationship between internal help-seeking barriers and trauma healing was partially mediated by SOC; mental health service utilization was not significantly associated with trauma healing. Overall, the relationship between distress and trauma healing was partially mediated by internal help-seeking barriers and SOC. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed some hypothetical pathways between distress and trauma healing. Further research with larger and international samples should be necessary to test the overall CDTR and compare groups. IMPACT: This study can help us focus on psychological interventions that enhance meaning and mitigate internal help-seeking barriers to promote holistic trauma recovery. Public and public contribution: The sample was gathered from a clinical population registry that alerts patients of potential research opportunities.

The Reliability and Predictive Validity of Sense of Coherence Scale for American Survivors of Gender-Based Violence.

This study investigated the reliability and predictive validity of the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale for 299 American survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). First, confirmatory factor analysis examined the construct validity of the SOC-13. Then, relationships between SOC and clinical scales were examined. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the 3-factor solution, and Cronbach's alpha reliability values for comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness subscales and total score of SOC-13 were: .62, .53, .65, and .81, respectively. Multiple regression revealed that age, posttraumatic growth, depression, and posttraumatic stress scores explained 53% of the variance of SOC scores. We interpret this to suggest that SOC is a protective factor in GBV, especially in younger women. Clinical implications are suggested.

The Experiences of Operating Room Nurses During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the changes in the physical, mental, and social conditions of operating room nurses and their personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: The study applied a qualitative research design that included the content analysis method. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were conducted online with 26 operating room nurses. Analysis of the data was completed in six steps using the content analysis method. FINDINGS: Four main themes emerged from the interviews: physical effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on operating room nurses, psychological effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on operating room nurses, operating room nurses' perceptions on the training given to them during the COVID-19 pandemic, and effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care worker and patient safety and nursing care. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes new findings on the experiences of operating nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic to the relevant literature. The results of the study indicated that the nurses were negatively affected both physically and psychologically during this period, and that this directly affected patient care.

Coping strategies among women exposed to Gender-Based violence in Turkey.

AIM: To understand coping strategies used by women experiencing gender-based violence and living in Turkey. Coping is a cognitive and behavioural strategy that individuals develop to manage stress, generally categorized as emotion-focused or problem-focused coping. Women exposed to gender-based violence develop various coping strategies to manage stress and its adverse mental and physical health effects. DESIGN: Qualitative study using the phenomenological approach. METHODS: Data were collected in Turkey by using the snowball technique (n = 17) between September 2019 and September 2020. The Clinical Ethnographic Narrative Interview is the source of the qualitative data for this study. Data were coded manually and utilized the RADAR technique. RESULTS: Seventeen women aged 25-40 were included in this analysis. Women stated that they were exposed to more than one type of gender-based violence according to their lived experiences. Analysis of the nature of coping strategies revealed five main themes. The themes were self-competence, separation from others/isolation, getting professional help, having faith and social support. CONCLUSION: Breaking the silence and listening to gender-based violence experiences from survivors' voices contribute significantly to literature. There was a dearth of research on Turkish women's gender-based violence survivors; the research intended to address that gap. The participants highlighted that they would like to receive more attention and felt relief in sharing their experiences. IMPACT: The Clinical Ethnographic Narrative Interview is a great tool to explore narratives of gender-based violence and coping skills of women. The study explored coping strategies of Turkish women's gender-based violence survivors. The participants indicated their emotion-focused and problem-solving coping strategies and shared their stories. This study will enhance efforts to concentrate on gender-based violence among Turkish women and inspire other researchers, practitioners and policymakers to change and provide more opportunities for the benefit and well-being of these women.

An examination of effects of intimate partner violence on children: A cross-sectional study conducted in a paediatric emergency unit in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women causes inadequate and unbalanced nutrition in children aged 0-5 years and adversely affects their growth. AIM: To examine the impact of intimate partner violence on a child's growth regarding the medical diagnosis in paediatric patients under 5 years of age, growth of the child, and the mother's exposure to intimate partner violence. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 166 children admitted to a paediatric emergency department, and their mothers. RESULTS: Women exposed to emotional violence and controlling behaviour during pregnancy had children prone to being overweight and obese. A mothers lifetime exposure to physical violence had an adverse effect on their children's wasting and moderate wasting. In contrast, mothers' exposure to emotional violence had a direct impact on a child's wasting and moderate wasting. CONCLUSION: The lifetime effect of domestic violence may begin at birth. This vulnerability leads to negative outcomes in both children and women regarding biopsychosocial development. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurses and midwives in primary health care services and one-on-one care should be trained to evaluate prospective mothers and children aged 0-5 regarding violence and its effects on the child's growth.

Understanding help-seeking barriers after Gender-Based Violence: Validation of the Barriers to Help Seeking-Trauma version (BHS-TR).

It is a devastating and tragic estimate that 35% of women worldwide have experienced either physical or sexual violence at some point in their lives (United Nations, 2015) (referred to hereafter as Gender-Based Violence, or GBV). While most research focuses on reducing violence, understanding power and control in families, and evaluating services, this study focuses on overcoming trauma recovery barriers. We document the development and psychometric properties of the development of the Barriers to Help Seeking for Trauma Scale (BHS-TR) scale conducted with 309 GBV survivors. EFA and CFA confirmed a 7-factor solution that explained 68.4% of the variance, with an alpha reliability of 0.87. Factors were Shame, Frozen/Confused, Problem Management beliefs, Unavailable, Financial Concerns, Discrimination, and Constraints. Convergent validity was found with Sense of Coherence (SOC) and Beliefs about Mental Illness (BMI), and external validity was found with all the subscales and depression/PTSD except Problem Management beliefs. Cluster analysis was used to confirm that the barriers factors grouped into Internal and External Barrier dimensions. Regression showed that BMI predicted 24% of External Barriers variance, and SOC predicted 20% of the variance of the Internal barriers. Implications include the need to understand the breadth of help-seeking survivors engage in, differentiate the varieties of barriers from shame and stigma, and work with survivors "where they are" to address perceived barriers.

The effectiveness of metacognitive training on impairments in social cognition in patients with schizophrenia: mental health nursing practice in a community mental health center.

BACKGROUND: Social cognition is an independent structure from the positive symptoms of schizophrenia and contributes to negative symptoms, neurocognitive impairment, and social functioning. AIM: To examine the effectiveness of the metacognitive training intervention on social cognition in people with schizophrenia. DESIGN: This study was conducted as a randomized quasi-experimental (pre-test/post-test and follow-up) design with a control group. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients with schizophrenia were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the control group (n = 19) or the metacognitive training group (n = 20). A 10-week metacognitive training program was offered to the intervention group. The study involved a pre-test/post-test design with a 3-month follow-up assessment. The primary outcome was social cognition, as measured by the Facial Emotion Discrimination/Identification Tests, Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, and Attributional Style Questionnaire. The secondary outcome was measured by the metacognitive training subjective efficacy form. RESULTS: Completion at follow-up was high (92.3%). The results show that the changes over time in the False Belief Task 1st level, Attributional Style Questionnaire negative events global-specific dimension, and positive events stable-unstable dimension mean scores, time interaction, were statistically significant. Metacognitive Training was efficacious on the theory of mind and in performing more functional attributions. Patients in the intervention group showed high-level positive feedback. CONCLUSION: Metacognitive Training applied by psychiatric and mental health nurses demonstrated a user and practitioner-friendly, safe and effective program on social cognition. Also, the social and cultural feasibility and effectiveness of the Metacognitive Training program were shown for the first time in a Turkish population.