Use of complementary and alternative medicine treatments by mothers of children with developmental disabilities: a cross sectional study.

This study aims to determine the rates of complementary and alternative medicine methods used by mothers of children with developmental disabilities, reasons for using methods, and comparison of methods according to diagnosis groups. The cohort in this cross-sectional and correlational study consisted of the mothers of 390 students with developmental disabilities; 77.2% of the mothers reported using at least one complementary and alternative medicine treatment. The highest level of use was found in the groups of mothers of children with cerebral palsy (100%) and autism spectrum disorder (88.5%). The most commonly used treatments were biological therapies consisting of special diets and multivitamins, manipulative and body-based methods including massage and exercise, and mind-body interventions such as prayer, wearing amulets, and seeking help from a Muslim preacher (hodja). However, mothers never used alternative medicine treatments such as homeopathy, acupuncture, or Ayurveda, nor did they use energy-based healing techniques such as reiki, tai chi, yoga, kinesiology, or neurofeedback exercises. Health care professionals, especially nurses as health care team members, should be knowledgeable and careful about the benefits, side effects, administration methods, and contraindications of complementary and alternative medicine treatments.

Effects of a Stress Management Training Program With Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based stress reduction program applied to a sample of Turkish nursing students. METHOD: The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial. Program sessions of 90 to 95 minutes were given twice per week for 12 weeks. Data were collected using the Nursing Education Stress Scale, the Mindfulness Scale, and the Stress Management Styles Scale. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found in the mean posttest and mean follow-up scores obtained by the control group and the experimental group on the Nursing Education Stress Scale and its subdimensions. On the Mindfulness Scale, a statistically significant difference was found between the mean pretest and posttest scores obtained by the experiment and control groups. CONCLUSION: The results derived from this study suggest that the mindfulness-based stress reduction program is effective in reducing the stress experienced by students during nursing education, increasing their mindfulness, strengthening their coping mechanisms for stress, increasing their use of self-confident and optimistic approaches, and decreasing their use of the helpless approach. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(5):273-280.].

Spirituality as a coping method for mothers of children with developmental disabilities.

Mothers of children with developmental disabilities suffer from tremendous stress and anxiety. These mothers may use religion and spirituality as coping mechanisms to help them adjust to changes emerging in their lives as well as to resolve problems. This study evaluated the spiritual needs of mothers of children with developmental disabilities and analyzed the effect of spirituality on their lives. This is a descriptive and qualitative study carried out at the School for Children with Mental and Physical Disabilities in Turkey. The study group consisted of the mothers of 28 children with developmental disabilities. The results of the study revealed four main themes: 'The journey to acceptance;' 'The meaning/purpose of life;' 'Concerns about the future;' and 'Coping strategies.' The results of the study showed that mothers of children with developmental disabilities in Turkey often use spirituality as a coping method. Using spirituality, they were able to handle the stress of their new lives. They began to see their children as giving meaning/purpose to their lives and experienced enhanced feelings of love/commitment. The mothers were most concerned about the fate of their children after the parents had passed away.

Development and Assessment of a Coping Scale for Infertile Women in Turkey.

Infertile women feel more psychological stress and pressure than their husbands, and the prevalence of anxiety and depression among them are higher. This study aimed to develop a culture-specific measurement tool to identify the strategies of infertile women in dealing with infertility-related problems. This was a scale development study. This study was carried out in three different fertility centers in the three largest cities in Turkey. The data were collected using personal information form and through the application of a Coping Scale for Infertile Women (CSIW) protocol. Ways of Coping with Stress Inventory. Cronbach's alpha, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient and Spearman's Rank correlation analyses were used to determine the reliability of the scale. The results of explanatory factor analysis and a factor structure of the Coping Scale for Infertile Women, comprising 50 items, were examined, and the data were determined to be suitable to perform factor analysis. The internal consistency of the scale was found to be 0.880. The number of factors in the scale was 10, and the internal consistency of the factors was 0.720. The results showed that the CSIW had good reliability and validity.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Used by Infertile Women in Turkey.

This study was carried out to determine the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) methods by women diagnosed with infertility who had undergone assisted reproduction methods to conceive a child. The study was descriptive and cross-sectional in design. The study was composed of 310 women admitted to the infertility clinic of a Women's and Children's Hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Data were collected via a questionnaire form that was prepared based on the literature. Data were assessed by percentage calculation. The ratio of CAM use among the women in the study was 51%. The most commonly used practices involved the consumption of onions (65.1%) and figs (45.2%), insertion of sheep tail fat into the vagina (42.9%) and eating walnuts (41.7%). The most commonly known practice was the use of onions (81.9%), followed by figs (56. 3%), amulets (34.1%), parsley (30.67%) and prayers (30.3%). Participants stated that only three methods had been beneficial, with onions (two individuals), diet (one individual), and psychotherapy (one individual), considered as successful practices. Evidence-based studies on the most well-known and practiced methods are needed. Therefore, it is essential to perform meta-analyses and randomized controlled studies.

Mutual Expectations of Mothers of Hospitalized Children and Pediatric Nurses Who Provided Care: Qualitative Study.

PURPOSE: This study attempted to identify the mutual expectations of mothers whose children were hospitalized in the pediatric department of a university hospital and nurses who provided care. DESIGN AND METHODS: A descriptive phenomenological design has been used in this study. Data were obtained through tape-recorded semi-structured interviews. This study was conducted at a pediatric clinic, at a university hospital in a small city in Turkey. Participants comprised five nurses working in the children's clinic and 24 mothers who accompanied their children to the hospital. RESULTS: The six major themes that emerged were mothers' feelings and thoughts about the hospital experience, mothers' expectations for attention and support during hospitalization, mothers' expectations for invasive procedures, issues regarding physical comfort and hospital infrastructure, nurses' feelings and thoughts about working in the pediatric clinic, and nurses' expectations of the mothers. CONCLUSIONS: Mothers expected nurses to provide physical support including medication administration, and installing/applying IV and nebulizer treatments; and emotional support in terms of having a friendly, rather than critical attitude, and being approachable and receptive of mothers' questions and anxieties. Nurses stated that they were aware of these expectations but needed mothers to be understanding and tolerant, considering their difficult working conditions. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Children's hospitalization is a stressful experience for parents. Open and therapeutic communication and relationships between parents and nurses contribute to improving the quality of care provided to children and their families.

Psychosocial Problems and Coping Strategies among Turkish Women with Infertility.

PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to determine the factors affecting the psychosocial problems of infertile Turkish women and to identify their coping strategies. METHODS: This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach. We conducted in-depth interviews to examine the psychosocial problems faced by infertile Turkish women. The participants were selected in two stages. In the first stage, 118 women diagnosed with primary infertility completed a personal information form and the Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI). In the second stage, in-depth interviews (lasting 45-90 minutes) were conducted with 24 (age 20 to 41 years) infertile women randomly selected from the groups formed according to their FPI global stress levels determined in Stage 1. Content analysis was used to examine the qualitative data. RESULTS: The results comprised nine main themes regarding the psychosocial problems encountered by women and the methods used to overcome these problems. These included the meaning attributed to being childless, negative self-concept, perceived social pressure, perceived social support, psychological symptoms, social withdrawal and isolation, spiritual coping, cherishing hope/restructuring life, and adopting traditional methods. Social pressure and stigma were common. Infertility was found to negatively affect the participants' self-perception and view of life. The women used spiritual methods for overcoming stress and avoiding society, as well as traditional fertility remedies. CONCLUSIONS: Infertile women suffer from various psychosocial problems because of infertility and they adopt emotion-focused coping methods.