Quality of life in patients with multiple sclerosis in Turkey: relationship to depression and fatigue.

The purposes of this study were to assess the self-reported quality of life (QOL) in a group of Turkish patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and to analyze whether the QOL was associated with fatigue and depression. The study used a descriptive design. A number of evaluation scales were administered to a study sample comprising 47 outpatients. The Short Form 36 for QOL, the Beck Depression Inventory for Depression, and the Visual Analogue Scale for Fatigue were used. The mean score for general QOL was 34.8 and indicated low QOL in MS patients. The results of our study have also shown that fatigue and depression strongly influence QOL in Turkish MS patients. Our findings may have important implications for the overall care of MS patients. The QOL of MS patients was affected negatively. Both fatigue and depression are common and treatable manifestations of MS, and these symptoms should be screened carefully in all MS patients. Care of MS patients requires the collaboration of all team members. Nurses have a key role as part of this team through the continuity of the care they provide and interaction with patients. Awareness of depression and fatigue can contribute to the nurses' ability to provide psychological support and enhance the QOL in MS patients.

Psychosocial Factors Affecting Smartphone Addiction in University Students.

Smartphone addiction is a recent concern that has resulted from the dramatic increase in worldwide smartphone use. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate psychosocial factors affecting smartphone addiction in university students. The study was performed among students at the Ondokuz Mayis University Samsun School of Health (Samsun, Turkey) on October-December 2015. Four hundred ninety-four students possessing smartphones and agreeing to participate were included. A sociodemographic data form produced by the authors and consisting of 10 questions was administered together with a questionnaire involving the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), the Flourishing Scale, the General Health Questionnaire, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. The questionnaires were applied in a class environment at face-to-face interviews. SAS-SV scores of 6.47% of students were "significantly higher" than the participating group mean SAS-SV score. Multiple regression analysis revealed that depression, anxiety and insomnia, and familial social support statistically, significantly predicted smartphone addiction. Further studies of smartphone addiction in different age groups and with different educational levels are now needed.