Syrian refugees' experiences while receiving mental health services and psychiatric nursing care: A qualitative study.

AIM: This study examined the experiences of Syrian refugees in a community centre in Turkiye as they access mental health services and receive psychiatric nursing care. DESIGN: A qualitative design was adopted in the study. METHODS: Data were collected from southern Turkiye between November and December 2021. The researchers conducted three semi-structured focus group interviews. Colaizzi's phenomenological method was followed to analyse the qualitative data. A total of 19 Syrian refugees participated in the focus group interviews. RESULTS: Three key themes related to immigrants' experiences of receiving mental health services and nursing care were identified: barriers to receiving mental health services, coping with negative experiences in Turkiye and satisfaction with mental health services. The participants identified the barriers they experienced while receiving health services as those pertaining to language, discrimination and stigmatization. They also mentioned the methods of coping with these negative experiences in Turkiye. Despite their negative experiences, they expressed satisfaction with the mental health services they received, especially psychiatric nursing care. CONCLUSIONS: This study determined that Syrian refugees face barriers in accessing and receiving mental health services. They stated that mental health professionals in Turkiye approach them with empathy, particularly those in psychiatric nursing. Healthcare professionals may be trained in culturally sensitive care to increase awareness. IMPACT: Studies have frequently examined the experiences of nurses providing care to refugees, but few have focused on evaluating nursing care from the perspective of refugees. Syrian refugees have reported various obstacles in accessing and receiving mental healthcare services. Health professionals, especially psychiatric nurses in mental health psychosocial support centres, must facilitate the processes to eliminate these obstacles. REPORTING METHOD: The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) were used. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public involvement.

Development of the medical adherence scale in adolescents using psychotropic medication and evaluation of validity and reliability in Turkish population.

PURPOSE: Although treatment non-adherence is relatively high among adolescents, there is a need for standardized measurement tools that measure adherence to treatment in adolescents. This study aimed to develop a new measurement tool to assess the adherence to treatment of adolescents with mental disorders who use psychotropic medication. METHODS: The data of this methodologically designed study were collected between 01.04.2022 and 01.07.2023 in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of a university hospital in the Aegean Region of Turkey. The Medication Adherence Reporting Scale and Adolescent Medical Adherence Scale draft form were used for data collection. The scale items were formed from the themes, sub-themes, and statements in the qualitative study that the researchers had conducted with adolescents with mental disorders and their parents, clinicians' experiences, and systematic reviews and meta-synthesis in the literature. The study sample consisted of 95 adolescents with mental disorders. Exploratory factor analysis was performed with Varimax rotation to determine the factorial construct validity of the scale. Internal consistency analyses were performed in reliability analyses, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used. RESULTS: The mean age of the adolescents was 14.18 years (1.81); 50.5% were male, and 96.8% were attending school. When the mental disorder diagnoses were analyzed, 65.3% of the adolescents were being followed up with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder diagnoses, and 58.8% were using stimulants. The 12-item form of the Adolescent Medical Adherence Scale was found to have a three-factor structure with item-total correlation values ranging between 0.26 and 0.66, and these factors were named functionality, responsibility in treatment, and medication adherence. Factor loadings ranged between 0.44 and 0.86, and the items explained 62.98% of the total variance. The internal consistency coefficients of the scale were between 0.69 and 0.83 for the subscales and 0.82 for the total scale. CONCLUSION: Based on the analysis and results used in this study, the Adolescent Medical Adherence Scale is a valid and reliable new measurement tool. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This tool can be used in clinical settings to evaluate adolescents' treatment adherence and prognosis. Clinical studies conducted with adolescents can also determine adherence to treatment and affecting factors.

Protocol Registration and Reporting of Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Published in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Journals: A Descriptive Study.

Although it is not mandatory for systematic review and meta-analysis studies, protocol registration is essential in the prevention of biases. This study aims to investigate the protocol registration status and reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in psychiatric nursing journals. This descriptive study's data were obtained by scanning the 10 mental health and psychiatric nursing journals in which the studies of psychiatric nurses were most frequently published and by examining the systematic reviews and meta-analyses published between 2012-2022. A total of 177 completed studies have been reviewed. It was determined that 18.6% of the examined systematic reviews and meta-analyses had a protocol registration. Almost all (96.9%) of the registered studies were registered with PROSPERO, and 72.7% were registered prospectively. It was determined that the registration status of the studies changed statistically according to the country where the studies' authors were located. When the published studies were examined, it was determined that approximately one out of every five studies were registered. With the prospective registration of systematic reviews, biases could be prevented, and evidence-based interventions can be made based on the knowledge obtained.

Qualitative and Artificial Intelligence-based Sentiment Analyses of Anti-LGBTI+ Hate Speech on Twitter in Turkey.

The aim of this study was to evaluate hate speech in Turkish LGBTI+-related tweets during a one-month period of artificial intelligence-based sentiment analyses. Turkish tweets related to LGBTI+, were retrieved using Python library Tweepy and were evaluated by sentiment analysis. The researchers then performed a qualitative analysis of the most frequently liked and retweeted tweets (n = 556). Sentiment analysis revealed that 69.5% of tweets were negative, 23.3% were neutral, and 7.2% were positive. The qualitative analysis was grouped under seven themes: LGBTI+ Club; Terrorism and Terrorist Organization Membership; Perversion, Illness, Immorality; Presence in History; Religious References; Insults; and Humiliation. The results of this study show that anti-LGBTI+ hate speech in Turkey is significant in terms of both quality and quantity. As LGBTI+ individuals are at risk for excess mental distress and disorders, it is important to understand the risks and other factors that ameliorate stress and contribute to mental health in social media.

The earthquakes in Turkey and their effects on nursing and community health.

BACKGROUND: Severe damage was experienced in 10 provinces in Turkey, and the north of Syria, with the earthquakes that hit Kahramanmaras at midnight and afternoon on February 6, 2023. AIM: The authors aimed to give brief information to the international nursing community about the situation related to earthquakes in the aspects of nurses. CONCLUSION: These earthquakes caused traumatic processes in the affected regions. Many people, including nurses and other healthcare professionals, died or were injured. The results demonstrated that the required preparedness had not been applied. Nurses went to these areas voluntarily or on assignment and cared for individuals with injured. The universities in the country passed to distance education because of the shortage of safe places for victims. This situation also negatively influenced nursing education and clinical practice by interrupting in-person education one more time after the COVID-19 pandemic. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND NURSING POLICY: Since the outcomes show a need for well-organized health and nursing care, policymakers may consider getting nurses' contributions to the disaster preparedness and management policy-making processes.

Effect of Psychoeducation on Stress in Parents of Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Study.

The current experimental pre-/posttest study sought to determine the effect of psychoeducation on the stress levels of parents of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A total of 172 parents participated and were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 86) and control (n = 86) groups. There was no significant difference between mean pretest scores of parents in the experimental and control groups on the Caregiver Stress Scale (p > 0.005); however, significant differences were found between pre- and posttest scores in the experimental group after psychoeducation and at 6-month follow up (p < 0.001). There were also significant differences between pre- and posttest scores and pretest scores and 6-month follow-up scores in the experimental group (p < 0.05). In the light of the findings, psychiatric nurses can use psychoeducation programs to support families of children with ADHD to reduce their stress levels. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 58(7), 34-41.].

Examining the relationship between traumatic growth and psychological resilience in young adult children of parents with and without a mental disorder.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between traumatic growth and psychological resilience in young adult children of parents with a mental disorder and to compare them with young adult children of parents without mental disorders. BACKGROUND: Negative life experiences that lead to trauma can affect young adults' psychological resilience, either positively or negatively. This study investigates levels of traumatic growth, the characteristics of psychological resilience and the relationship between the former and latter in young adults between the ages of 18-23 who have parents with a mental disorder and who have parents without a mental disorder. DESIGN: This study was designed as a cross-sectional, descriptive study and was conducted between June 1 and October 31, 2017. METHODS: The sample of the study consisted of young adult children of outpatients with mental disorders who applied to the Psychiatric Polyclinics of Burdur State Hospital (334) and young adult children of parents without mental disorders who applied to different polyclinics (332). A total of 666 individuals participated in the study. RESULTS: Comparative analyses showed a significant difference between the participants who had parents with a mental disorder and participants who had parents without mental disorders in terms of the mean scale scores and all subscale scores on the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory and Resilience Scale for Adults. CONCLUSION: It was found that individuals who had parents without a mental disorder were negatively affected after traumatic events and that their psychological resilience was high. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study provides data on the characteristics of traumatic growth and psychological resilience levels of not only young adults whose parents have mental disorders but also young adults whose parents do not have mental disorders. In the light of this study's findings, psychiatric nurses may benefit from conducting early screening and intervention programmes to help increase the psychological resilience of young adults whose parents have mental disorders.

Traumatic growth and psychological resilience status of female victims of violence inpatients in a district psychiatric hospital.

The aim of this study was to examine the traumatic mental growth and psychological resilience status of females who were receiving inpatient treatment at a district mental health hospital and had a history of being subjected to violence. One hundred-twenty female patients with a history of exposure to violence participated in the study. An introductory information form, the Traumatic Growth Inventory (TGI) and the Psychological Resilience Scale for Adults (PRSA) were used for data collection. This study found that all the participants were subjected to emotional violence, 65.8% to physical violence, 30.8% to sexual violence, and 94.2% to verbal violence at some point in their lives. Their TGI mean score (60.96 ±â€¯11.91) was above average, while their PRSA mean score (97.90 ±â€¯9.18) was below average. The participants' mean scores on the TGI and PRSA did not vary significantly by the type of violence (p > 0.05) to which the women were exposed. Moreover, no statistically significant relationship was found between the TGI and the PRSA total scale and subscale mean scores (p > 0.05). This study found that the posttraumatic growth of females who had a history of physical or emotional or sexual abuse was positive, and that their psychological resilience levels were inadequate.

Relation Among Anxiety and Family Burden in Primary First-Degree Caregivers of Outpatients with Mental Disorders in Turkey.

The aim of this study was to determine the relation among anxiety and family burden in primary first-degree relative caregivers of outpatients with mental disorders in Turkey. Data were collected with patients' primary first-degree relative caregivers via the Information Form, Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Perceived Family Burden Scale (PFBS). In all, 481 caregivers (325 women and 156 men) participated in this study. Based on this study's results, primary caregivers of patients with mental disorders had a moderate level anxiety, and as anxiety increased, family burden also increased. Those results suggest that mental health nurses should plan interventions not only for patients, but also for their family member or their caregivers to decrease anxiety level.

Prenatal and Postnatal Attachment Among Turkish Mothers Diagnosed with a Mental Health Disorder.

The presence of a mental disorder in the mother is one of the key factors affecting attachment. The present study aimed to evaluate prenatal and postnatal attachment among mothers diagnosed with a mental health disorder by comparing them to a healthy group. The patient group included women who received follow-up care in a psychiatric clinic (74 pregnant and 75 postpartum), and the healthy group consisted of women who attended a follow-up polyclinic (118 pregnant and 82 postpartum). Data were collected using questionnaire forms, including the Prenatal Attachment Inventory and the Maternal Attachment Scale. Mothers diagnosed with a mental health disorder were determined to have lower attachment scores than the healthy group, both during the prenatal and postnatal periods. The literature suggests that mothers diagnosed with a mental health disorder showed low maternal attachment scores during pregnancy and/or the postnatal period. Psychiatric nurses should be involved in initiatives that may increase the prenatal and maternal attachment.

Metabolic Side Effects in Patients Using Atypical Antipsychotic Medications During Hospitalization.

The current research evaluated metabolic side effects in inpatients (N = 271) using atypical antipsychotic medications in a psychiatric hospital in Turkey between June and December 2016. Data were collected via an information form created after reviewing the literature at the time of patients' hospitalization and discharge. According to the analysis, 73.8% of patients stated they experienced side effects from antipsychotic medications and 20.7% of patients experienced weight gain. A statistical difference was detected among body mass index, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate during patient hospitalization and discharge. Patients using atypical anti-psychotic medications gained weight, had increased cardiovascular risk, and experienced adverse effects on their physical health during hospitalization. Mental health nurses should inform patients of medication effects and possible side effects, monitor side effects, and teach patients how to manage metabolic side effects. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 56(4), 28-37.].

Roles of Psychiatry Nurses Within a Therapeutic Environment of Psychiatry Clinics in Turkey.

OBJECT: The object of this study is to determine the roles of psychiatry nurses within the therapeutic environment of psychiatry clinics in Turkey. METHODS: This study was performed in a cross-sectional and descriptive design in 195 institutes comprising psychiatry clinics in Turkey. RESULTS: When the responsibilities of nurses for clinical activities were asked, the following answers were obtained: playing with patients or painting at a rate of 54,4%. It was determined that in the majority of psychiatry clinics, there were educational activities which were conducted by nurses. CONCLUSION: The researchers propose that the increase in the roles and responsibilities of nurses in such activities be supported.

An Investigation of Cardiovascular Risks in a Group of Children and Adolescents Who Use Atypical Antipsychotics.

This study was conducted to identify the metabolic parameters and body measurements associated with cardiovascular risks in a group of children and adolescents who as part of inpatient treatment received atypical antipsychotics at a psychiatric hospital in Turkey. Body mass indexes (BMIs), waist circumferences (WCs), diastolic blood pressures (DBPs), systolic blood pressures (SBPs) and heart rates (HRs) of the patients were evaluated during hospitalization and at discharge. A statistically significant difference was found among the mean BMIs, WCs, DBPs and HRs of the patients at the stages of their hospitalization and discharge (p < 0.05). On the basis of the study findings, it is recommended that mental health nurses evaluate these risk factors in children and adolescents and provide education on this subject to the patients and their families.

Effectiveness of Adherence Therapy for People With Schizophrenia in Turkey: A Controlled Study.

OBJECTIVE: This study used a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group and follow-up to determine the efficacy of adherence therapy in patients with schizophrenia in Turkey. METHODS: The sample of this study consisted of patients with schizophrenia (n=30). The Questionnaire Form, Medication Adherence Rating Scale, Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale, and Beck Cognitive Insight Scale were used. The patients were assigned to experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups using the randomization method. The experimental group received adherence therapy in eight sessions. RESULTS: When the scores of the patients in the experimental and control groups were compared at the pretest, posttest, and 3- and 6-months follow ups, a significant difference was only found in the Medication Adherence Rating Scale posttest scores. CONCLUSION: Adherence therapy is effective in improving adherence to treatment but is not effective with regard to insight and internalized stigma in patients with schizophrenia.

Qualitative and Artificial Intelligence-Based Sentiment Analysis of Turkish Twitter Messages Related to Autism Spectrum Disorders.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to conduct an emotional analysis of Turkish Twitter messages related to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). METHODS: An emotion analysis was performed using quantitative and qualitative analysis methods on Turkish Twitter messages shared between November 2021 and January 2022 that contained the words "autism" and "autistic." RESULTS: It was found that 81.5% of the 13,042 messages that constituted the sample of this study contained neutral emotions. The most frequently used words in Twitter messages were autism, a, universe, strong, patience, warriors, and happy. The qualitative analysis revealed three main themes. These themes were: "experiences," "informing society and awareness," and "humiliation." CONCLUSION: In this study, it was found that Turkish Twitter messages related to autism, which were analyzed using artificial intelligence-based emotion analysis, often contained neutral emotions. While the content of these messages, often shared by parents, was related to experiences, and the messages shared by pediatric psychiatrists and rehabilitation center employees were informative in nature, it was determined that the word "autism" was used to insult, which is outside of its medical meaning.

Qualitative and Artificial Intelligence-Based Sentiment Analysis of Turkish Tweets Related to Schizophrenia. / Sizofreniye Yönelik Türkçe Twitter Iletilerin Nitel ve Yapay Zekâ Temelli Duygu Çözümlemesi.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to qualitatively examine Turkish tweets about schizophrenia in respect of stigmatization and discrimination within a one-month period and to conduct emotional analysis using artificial intelligence applications. METHOD: Using the keyword 'schizophrenia,' Turkish tweets were gathered from the Python Tweepy application between December 19, 2020 and January 18, 2021. Features were extracted using the Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) method and artificial neural networks and tweets were classified as positive, neutral, or negative. Approximately 5% of the tweets were qualitatively analyzed, constituting those most frequently liked and retweeted. RESULTS: The study found that, of the total of 3406 schizophreniarelated messages shared in Turkey over a period of one-month, 2996 were original, and were then retweeted a total of 1823 times, and liked by 25,413 people. It was determined that 63.4% of the tweets shared about schizophrenia contained negative emotions, 28.7% were neutral, and 7.71% expressed positive emotions. Within the scope of the qualitative analysis, 145 tweets were examined and classified under four main themes and two sub-themes; namely, news about violent patients, insult (insulting people in interpersonal relationships, insulting people in the news), mockery, and information. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that the Turkish tweets about schizophrenia, which were emotionally analyzed using artificial intelligence were found often to contain negative emotions. It was also seen that Twitter users used the term schizophrenia, not in a medical sense but to insult and make fun of individuals, frequently shared the news that patients were victims or perpetrators of violence, and the messages shared by professional branch organizations or mental health professionals were primarily for conveying information to the public.

Experiences of Hearing Parents of Children with Hearing Loss: A Qualitative Study.

This qualitative study was carried out with a phenomenological design to determine the life experiences of the parents of children with hearing loss. The study sample consisted of twenty parents, who did not have hearing loss, of children with hearing loss registered in a special education and rehabilitation center. The data were collected through in-depth interviews in Istanbul between December and January 2022. Colaizzi's phenomenological interpretation method was used for qualitative data analysis. It was determined that parents of children with hearing loss experienced anxiety, sadness, and happiness during diagnosis. They needed more information at first, but then they gained knowledge in the process, and it took work to accept this process. They stated that having a child with hearing loss requires more time, responsibility, and effort than other children. This situation affects their social life, and they experience interpersonal conflicts. When parents were asked how they coped, they said they did it through prayer, social support, or time to themselves. It can be recommended to apply psychosocial intervention programs to the parents of children with hearing loss, especially their mothers, from the first diagnosis process.

The relationship between stress, anxiety, and depression levels and pseudobulbar affect in patients with multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) has recently been added to the list of mental disorders commonly observed in patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The emotional changes experienced by MS patients may be associated with other mental problems and adversely affect disease prognosis. However, there are limited studies in the international and national literature on this subject. AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between PBA and stress, anxiety, and depression levels in patients with MS. DESIGN: This is a descriptive, relational, and cross-sectional study. METHODS: A total of 442 MS patients followed in the neurology outpatient clinic of a hospital and registered with the MS Society in Turkey participated in this study. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Turkish version of the Center for Neurologic Study-Lability Scale (CNS-LS), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). RESULTS: In this study, 63.3% of the patients had PBA, 21% had extremely severe depression, 41.6% had extremely severe anxiety, and 24.9% had severe stress. Correlation analysis revealed weak positive correlations between CNS-LS total score and DASS subscale and total scores. Depression, anxiety, and stress levels accounted for 22.5% of the variation in CNS-LS total score. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that a majority of MS patients in Turkey experience PBA, depression, anxiety, and stress, and that PBA is positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. IMPACT STATEMENT: This study, indicates that should be increased consultation-liaison psychiatry services in Turkey, and MS patients should benefit from comprehensive psychiatric services.

Which factors affect internalized stigmatization in adolescents with mental disorders?

PURPOSE: The aim of this descriptive study was to determine the factors affecting internalized stigmatization of adolescents with mental disorders. METHOD: The study data were collected in a university hospital between August 1, 2020 and July 30, 2021 (n = 123), using a Personal information form and the Internalized Stigmatization of Mental Illness-Adolescent Form (ISMI-AF). RESULTS: Gender and the number of hospitalizations were determined to be independent variables with explanatory power in the ISMI-AF, and in the model created with these variables, it was determined that these variables explained 18% of the change in the total points of the ISMI-AF. CONCLUSIONS: It could be recommended that psychosocial programs are developed with the aim of decreasing internalized stigmatization and increasing the psychological resilience of adolescents.