Effects of Telenursing on Drug Attitudes, Self-Efficacy, and Quality of Life in Individuals With Schizophrenia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, health services offered to individuals diagnosed with mental disorders were interrupted, and use of alternative methods, such as telenursing, came to the forefront. METHOD: Sixty-four individuals with schizophrenia participated in the current randomized controlled trial that evaluated whether a telenursing intervention affected their drug attitudes, self-efficacy, and quality of life. Pretest, posttest, and follow-up measurements were obtained for experimental and control groups from May to August 2021. Data were collected via a Personal Information Form, Drug Attitude Inventory-10, Self-Efficacy Scale, and World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-Short Form. RESULTS: Upon comparison of scores obtained by the experimental and control groups in pretest, posttest, and follow-up measurements, it was discerned that telenursing positively affected drug attitudes of participants in the experimental group and enhanced their quality of life. Although there was an increase in self-efficacy levels of the experimental group compared to the control group, the difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Telenursing is an effective intervention for the improvement of drug attitudes and quality of life but is not satisfactory for the improvement of self-efficacy in individuals with schizophrenia. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, xx(x), xx-xx.].

The effect of insight, loneliness, and hope levels on medication adherence in patients with schizophrenia.

PURPOSE: It is important to investigate the negative factors affecting medication compliance to continue the treatment of schizophrenia. DESIGN AND METHODS: In this descriptive and analytical study, the effects of insight, loneliness, and hope levels on medication adherence in 202 patients with schizophrenia were studied. FINDINGS: The correlation was positive between medication adherence and insight, negative between medication adherence and loneliness, and no correlation between medication adherence and hope. A 1-point increase in insight scores increased medication adherence 1.226 times and a 1-point increase in loneliness scores decreased medication adherence 0.946 times. Medication adherence was 0.499 times lower in nonsmokers compared to smokers. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Further studies on patients with schizophrenia should be conducted to evaluate factors affecting medication adherence and preventing smoking in schizophrenia.

Is distance education obligatory or a new trend? The effect of psychiatric nursing e-course on stigma.

PURPOSE: To examine the effects of psychiatric nursing e-course taught by distance learning on students' beliefs about mental illnesses. DESIGN AND METHODS: This study was conducted as a pretest, posttest, and follow-up quasi-experimental study with 147 nursing students. FINDINGS: The results showed that the psychiatric nursing e-course significantly reduced the stigmatization total and dimension scale scores of the participants, and the effect continued in the follow-up measurement. The difference between the pretest and posttest stigmatization scores of the students who concentrated during virtual classes and those who found student-instructor interaction and virtual course materials sufficient was statistically significant. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Our results have shown that the psychiatric nursing e-course is effective on beliefs regarding stigmatization, and distance education is promising for nursing education to continue effectively.

The aggressive patient experiences of healthcare professionals exposed to physical violence in a psychiatric clinic: A phenomenological study.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the experiences of healthcare professionals, exposed to physical violence, related to aggressive patients at a psychiatry service. DESIGN AND METHODS: The qualitative study sample consisted of a total of 21 healthcare professionals. The data were collected through in-depth interviews. An inductive qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data. FINDINGS: Three themes, the effects of warning signs of violence, clinical management of violence, and effects of violence, and 13 sub-themes were determined. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The effects of physical violence on healthcare professionals can be seen and will contribute to planning in this regard.

Protective effects of long-term probiotic mixture supplementation against pentylenetetrazole-induced seizures, inflammation and oxidative stress in rats.

Emerging evidence indicates that dysbiosis of gut microbiota plays an important role in epilepsy, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear due to the complex nature of both microbial composition and pathophysiology of epilepsy. We investigated effects of long-term probiotics supplementation on epileptic seizures, and inflammatory and oxidant/antioxidant biomarkers in a pentylenetetrazole(PTZ)-induced seizure model in rats. Male Wistar weaner-rats were divided into four groups. The first two groups received 1 ml/day saline solution, while the other groups received 0.05 mg/1ml/day vehicle or 109cfu/1ml/day probiotic-mixture, respectively, for 60 days by gavage. Seizure was induced by a single convulsive dose of PTZ. Seizures were evaluated using Racine's scale. Concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines in plasma and brain tissue were determined using ELISA, while oxidant/antioxidant biomarkers were measured using an automated-colorimetric method. Probiotics supplementation exhibited anticonvulsant effects against PTZ-induced seizures by retarding onset-times of both myoclonic-jerk and generalized tonic-clonic seizure, and by shortening duration of generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Additionally, it alleviated PTZ-induced increases in levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-17A, but not of IFNγ, in plasma and brain tissue. Moreover, it restored PTZinduced fluctuations in levels of oxidants TOS and disulfide, and of antioxidants native thiol and total thiol. Our findings suggest that long-term probiotics supplementation exhibits protective effects against epileptic seizures, and alleviates (neuro)inflammation and oxidative stress related to pathophysiology of epilepsy. A probiotic-rich diet provided from childhood may provide prophylaxis against epileptic seizures, especially in susceptible individuals, as the neonate diet represents a fundamental extrinsic factor in establishing gut microbiota.

Effect of assertiveness training on the nursing students' assertiveness and self-esteem levels: Application of hybrid education in COVID-19 pandemic.

The changes taking place in the education system along with the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic make it compulsory to use distance education methods. For evaluating whether the assertiveness training which was offered through a hybrid education model had any effect on assertiveness and self-esteem, this study was conducted as an experimental study with the control group. In the study, the Rathus assertiveness inventory, Coopersmith self-esteem inventory, and personal information form were utilized. The participant nursing students were assigned to experimental and control groups. The measurement tools were applied to both groups while the assertiveness training was later given solely to the experimental group. At the end of the training given to the experimental group, the measurement tools were applied once again to both groups. According to the results of the study, while the assertiveness and self-esteem of the students in the experimental group increased significantly from the pre-test to the posttest measurements, no statistically significant difference was found in the measurements made in the same periods in the control group. This situation demonstrates that the technology-based hybrid assertiveness training was effective in enhancing assertiveness and self-esteem.

The relationship between smartphone addiction risk and sleep duration and psychosocial comorbidities in health professional candidates.

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between smartphone addiction risk and sleep duration and psychosocial comorbidities in health professional candidates. DESIGN AND METHODS: This descriptive correlational study was conducted in Bandirma, a district of Balikesir, a province in Turkey, between February 2019 and June 2019 and included 408 students. FINDINGS: Although smartphone addiction risk was not associated with sleep duration, it was positively associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety, and stress. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Peer education programs are recommended to prevent smartphone addiction.