Psychological Distress, Depression, and Anxiety in Nursing Students: A Longitudinal Study.

The aim of this longitudinal study is to determine how stressful life events, psychological distress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety change in a cohort of students from one nursing faculty during the education process and to document the factors related to psychological distress, depressive symptoms, and anxiety during the fourth year of education. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were applied to students within the faculty of nursing within the first week of the 2018-2019 academic year. All students were asked to answer a questionnaire measuring their possible stressful life events (first timepoint). The process was repeated for the same students again in the fourth year (second timepoint). The changes between the two timepoints were examined. Nursing students' GHQ-12 and STAI scores and averages increased significantly from first timepoint to second timepoint (p < 0.05). There was a significant increase in the prevalence of depressive symptoms for the ≥21 cut-off point of BDI in the fourth year of the study cohort. A significant increase in perceived stress levels between the two timepoints was also found for numerous stressful life events. As a result of linear regression, "dissatisfaction with major" was found as a determinant on all scale scores. The psychological indicators increased significantly in nursing students during their education. Interventions to reduce stress, anxiety, and psychological distress are needed to improve the mental health status of nursing students.

Psychological Changes of Music and Fine Arts Students in the Education Process: A Comparative Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the changes in psychological distress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in students from the fine arts faculty in the first 2 years of their education in Turkey, in comparison with students from other faculties, and to reveal the causes of psychological distress, anxiety, and depression in fine arts students. METHODS: The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were applied to students from Faculty of Fine Arts and the Faculties of Economics and Sport Sciences (controls) in the first week of the 2017-2018 academic year. Students also completed a questionnaire measuring their possible stressful life events (at timepoint T1). The process was repeated for the same students in the second year (T2). The changes between the two time¬points were examined prospectively. RESULTS: A total of 96 fine arts students agreed to participate at T1 and 66 at T2 (68.8%); for the controls, it was 259 at T1 and 182 (70.3%) at T2. The fine arts students at T1 included 15 music majors, 45 cinema and television, and 36 handi¬crafts, sculpture, and painting. Their average age at T1 was 21.0 yrs (SD 5.8) and 54.2% were male; for the other students, it was 19.4 yrs (2.7) and 56.0% male. Fine arts students' GHQ-12 score averages increased significantly from T1 to T2 (11.7 to 14.3, p=0.002). Their BDI score averages increased from 10.3 to 12.3 (p=0.044). Moreover, their S-Anxiety score averages increased from 41.1 at T1 to 44.1 at T2 (p=0.008). However, the increase in T-Anxiety scores was not statistically significant. None of the control students' test scores varied between the two timepoints (p>0.05). At T2, for fine arts students, there was no significant difference between female and male students in terms of GHQ-12, BDI, and S-Anxiety scores. However, T-anxiety scores were higher in female students. By linear regression analysis, "worrying about the future (individual)" was found to be a determinant on all scale scores in fine arts students. CONCLUSION: The psychological indicators increased significantly in fine arts students during the first year of their education.

Depression and Psychological Distress in Medical Students, A Prospective Study.

Introduction: The aim of the study is to determine the changes in psychological distress and depressive symptoms of medical students in the first two years of their education process, in comparison with other faculty students. Methods: All first-year students in the Faculties of Medicine, Economics and Sport Sciences were asked to fill out a detailed self-reported questionnaire aimed at measuring possible stressful life events and habits, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) during the first week of their first semester in 2017-2018. This process was repeated to the same students again in the second year, and the change was examined prospectively. Results: The GHQ-12 score average increased from 11.19 to 13.7 in medical students (p<0.001). The prevalence of psychological distress increased from 53.8% to 61.8%. The BDI score average was 8.04 in the beginning and reached 10.1 in the second year (p<0.001). Depressive symptom prevalence increased from 8.8% to 19.5%. No significant increase was observed in the GHQ-12, BDI score average, depressive symptoms, and psychological distress prevalence of other faculty students. The incidence of depressive symptoms in medical students was 15.9%. As a result of multivariate analysis, "dissatisfaction with social activities" and "exposure to psychological pressure and violence" which were stressful life events were statistically associated with both GHQ-12 and BDI. Conclusion: It was determined that the mental health of the students was negatively affected in the first year of medical school education. It is recommended to raise awareness for medical students at risk of mental illness and to plan interventions that will protect their mental health.

Clinical phenotypes of childhood food allergies based on immune mechanisms: A multicenter study.

Background: Food allergies (FA) are an important public health concern that place a major burden on the lives of children and their families. The complex pathogenesis of FAs results in multisystemic and heterogenous clinical presentations. Objective: To evaluate, according to immune mechanisms, the characteristics and risk factors of childhood FA in Turkey. Methods: This descriptive multicenter study included 1248 children with FA, aged < 18 years,, who were evaluated by pediatric allergists in 26 different centers. Results: Immune mechanisms of FA were immunoglobulin E (IgE) mediated in 71.8%, non-IgE mediated in 15.5%, and mixed IgE/non-IgE mediated in 12.7% of the patients. An episode of anaphylaxis had occurred in 17.6% of IgE-mediated FA. The most common food allergens were classified into five categories (in order of decreasing frequency): cow's milk, egg, tree nuts and/or peanut, wheat, and seafood. Allergies to cow's milk and egg declined significantly with age, whereas tree nuts and/or peanut allergies increased with age. The 0-2 year age group accounted for 62.5% of the cases. The most frequent cause of FA and food anaphylaxis was cow's milk before age 13 years and tree nuts and/or peanut during adolescence (ages 13-18 years). Compared with other phenotypes, male sex (odds ratio [OR] 1.486; p = 0.032), sibling(s) (OR 1.581; p = 0.021), and maternal atopy (OR 1.531; p = 0.045) increased the likelihood of IgE-mediated FA, whereas high household income (OR 1.862; p = 0.026) increased the likelihood of non-IgE-mediated FA in multivariate regression analysis. Conclusion: This study showed that the clinical findings of FA were highly variable, depending on age and underlying immune mechanism. Knowing the population characteristics will enable better management of FA in children.