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Introduction: After the war in Syria, many people were forcibly displaced, and many others migrated to foreign countries. Many Syrians have been exposed to traumatic negative lifeexperiences during this process. In this context, this study was carried out to investigate the effects of pre- and post-migration traumatic experiences and living difficulties on the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Syrian refugees who have been residing in Turkey for more than five years. Methods: The sample size of this cross-sectional study consisted of 200 Syrian refugees. Research data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. Refugees' depression and anxiety levels were assessed with The Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were assessed with the PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PCL-5). Logistic regression models were created to assess the effects of pre- and post-migration traumas, adverse events, and other sociodemographic variables, including age and gender, on PTSD. Results: The study unveiled a high prevalence of PTSD (55.5%), depression (33.5%), and anxiety(4.5%) among participants. Notably, male refugees and those exposed to armed conflict exhibited a significantly higher frequency of PTSD. In contrast, depression was more prevalent among female participants. Pre-migration traumatic experiences, especially near-death situations, were identified as significant predictors of PTSD. Interestingly, while pre-migration traumatic experiences were higher, post-migration living difficulties also emerged as a concern, with factorslike "inability to return home in emergencies" and "worries about losing ethnic identity" beinghighlighted. Path analysis further revealed that pre-migration traumatic experiences indirectly contributed to PTSD by exacerbating post-migration living difficulties. Discussion: Syrian refugees in Turkey, even after long-term residence, exhibit high rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. While pre-migration traumas play a pivotal role, post-migration challenges further compound their mental health issues. These findings underscore the need for holistic, long-term mental health interventions that address both past traumas and current living difficulties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the reasons for starting and continuing to use substances, the changes they experience in accessing and receiving treatment, and the changes observed in family and social support systems with a biopsychosocial approach. Qualitative research method was used in this study. In addition, it was conducted with women who received inpatient treatment at the addiction rehabilitation center of Manisa Mental Health and Disorder Hospital and who did not use substances in the last year. The research sample was determined according to the principle of maximum diversity. Data were collected through in-depth telephone interviews with 31 women. In addition, the data were analyzed by content analysis using the Maxquda is qualitative data analysis (MAXQDA) program. Most of the participants stated that their relationships with their families deteriorated during substance use; they faced economic problems, and they were stigmatized more deeply because they were women. The disadvantaged situations experienced by women within the scope of gender inequality are deepened by the phenomenon of addiction, making it difficult for them to access health and social services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with psychiatric disorders have higher early mortality rates than the general population, and all types of mental disorders are associated with a short life expectancy. In this context, assessment of the mortalities of both natural and unnatural causes in psychiatric inpatients is of critical importance in terms of mortality epidemiology, which provides data that can help improve the quality and planning of psychiatric care. The population of this study retrospective, cross-sectional study consisted of inpatients that died in Manisa Mental Health and Diseases Hospital between May 2002 and December 2022. Of the 120 inpatients that died, 119 patients, 63.9% male, and 36.1% female, were included in the study sample. The mortality rate decreased from 3.2% to 0.22% during the period covered by the study. The difference between mortality rates before 2013, when quality and accreditation processes started, and after 2013 has decreased from 74.8% to 25.2%. Of the natural deaths, 45.4% were caused by cardiac arrest, whereas 100% of the unnatural deaths occurred due to suicides. Short hospital stays and close follow-up in the first week of hospitalization are essential in reducing mortality rates in psychiatric inpatients. In addition, increasing the quality of health care in accordance with the national and international quality and accreditation criteria will further reduce the mortality rates in psychiatric inpatients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the variables in the use of traditional and complementary medicine for psychiatric complaints in and around the city of Adana, in Turkey's Eastern Mediterranean region. Material and Methods: The study was performed with 1768 psychiatric outpatients of Çukurova, Kozan and Ceyhan State Hospitals in Adana who gave written approval and fitted the criteria. The structured clinical interview for DSM-5 was performed by a psychiatrist, and a questionnaire was given to gather socio-demographic information and clinical details on the use of traditional and complementary medicine. Results: The proportion of participants using some kind of traditional and complementary medicine was found to be 39.7%. Those mostly used were, in order of frequency, prayer and consultation (16%), herbal products (10.5%), and nutritional supplements (7.1%). Regarding the perceived effectiveness of the use of traditional and complementary medicine, 68.6% of participants reported that they were partially or greatly effective. The use of traditional and complementary medicine was greater among the elderly, those living in rural areas, those with a low income, and those with a low education level. Conclusion: The results of our study show that the use of traditional and complementary medicine among the mentally ill is widespread, and it is important that physicians and policy-makers should be aware this fact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background and Aim: obesity is a very important problem in individuals with bipolar disorder. The study was aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity in individuals with bipolar disorder and to evaluate the effects of factors affecting eating behavior such as mindful eating, impulsivity and eating disorders on the development of obesity in these individuals., Methods: this study is a cross-sectional study. A total of 109 individuals (52 female; 57 male) with bipolar disorder who were in a euthymic state at the time of the interview and underwent outpatient follow-up, treatment and monitorization, and 109 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals as the control group were included in the study. The Mindful Eating Questionnaire-30 (MEQ-30), Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-21), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11-Short Form (BIS-11-SF), and Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26) were used, and anthropometric measurements (height, bodyweight, etc.) were taken., Results: the obesity rate was 50.4 % among the cases and 24.8 % in the control group. Moreover, disinhibition (3.4 ± 0.93), emotional eating (3.5 ± 1.13), and mindfulness (2.6 ± 0.54) scores of individuals with BD were significantly lower than for healthy individuals (3.7 ± 0.82, 4.0 ± 0.93, 2.8 ± 0.55, respectively). The risk of obesity was 5.19 times higher in cases compared to the age- and gender-matched controls (OR = 5.19, 95 % CI (2.01-13.37), p = 0.001). The risk of obesity was 2.76 times higher in those with low mindful eating level (OR = 2.76, 95 % CI (1.07-5.47), p = 0.014) and 4.29 times higher in those using antipsyhotics/mood stabilizers (OR = 4.29, 95 % CI (1.12-12.24), p < 0.001)., Conclusion: A comprehensive education program on mindful eating and healthy eating would be helpful in elucidating the mechanisms of the possible relationships between bipolar disorder-specific risk factors and mindful eating.

Introduction: After the war in Syria, many people were forcibly displaced, and many others migrated to foreign countries. Many Syrians have been exposed to traumatic negative lifeexperiences during this process. In this context, this study was carried out to investigate the effects of pre- and post-migration traumatic experiences and living difficulties on the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in Syrian refugees who have been residing in Turkey for more than five years., Methods: The sample size of this cross-sectional study consisted of 200 Syrian refugees. Research data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. Refugees' depression and anxiety levels were assessed with The Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were assessed with the PTSD Checklist for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) (PCL-5). Logistic regression models were created to assess the effects of pre- and post-migration traumas, adverse events, and other sociodemographic variables, including age and gender, on PTSD., Results: The study unveiled a high prevalence of PTSD (55.5%), depression (33.5%), and anxiety(4.5%) among participants. Notably, male refugees and those exposed to armed conflict exhibited a significantly higher frequency of PTSD. In contrast, depression was more prevalent among female participants. Pre-migration traumatic experiences, especially near-death situations, were identified as significant predictors of PTSD. Interestingly, while pre-migration traumatic experiences were higher, post-migration living difficulties also emerged as a concern, with factorslike "inability to return home in emergencies" and "worries about losing ethnic identity" beinghighlighted. Path analysis further revealed that pre-migration traumatic experiences indirectly contributed to PTSD by exacerbating post-migration living difficulties., Discussion: Syrian refugees in Turkey, even after long-term residence, exhibit high rates of PTSD, depression, and anxiety. While pre-migration traumas play a pivotal role, post-migration challenges further compound their mental health issues. These findings underscore the need for holistic, long-term mental health interventions that address both past traumas and current living difficulties., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yilmaz, Tamam and Cengisiz.)

Objective: It has been widely acknowledged that the community and health professionals hold negative attitudes toward patients with impaired mental health. This constitutes a majör obstacle for those patients in coping with their disease, managing their care, and hence regulating their lives. Although studies carried out in Turkey document the presence of stigma, they provide limited information about the ways for solving this problem. Drawing on the litrature, the present study investigated the effect of medical education on stigmatization., Method: During 2008/2009 academic year, 106 freshmen who were majoring in the Medical School at Celal Bayar University volunteered to participate in the present study. Participants have not yet received any theoretical or practical training on psychiatry. At the beginning of the study, they were informed about the purpose of the study and accordingly requested to fill a consent form. The 32-item schizophrenia subscale of the Attitude Questionnaire developed by Psychiatric Investigations and Education Center (PAREM) was administered to the participants. Along with the questionnaire, they were also requested demographic information. After 5 years, the participants who completed their psychiatry internship were reassessed with the same instrument., Results: 106 volunteers participated in the present study. The majority of the participants were females (54.7%) with equal balance of income and expidentures (65.1%) having a mental disease percentage of 5.6%. Findings showed that students' attitudes towards schizophrenic patients changed significantly positive as they proceed from first year to the fifth year. Results demonstrated that as students move through the years they report more positive attitudes in the areas of etiology of schizophrenia (p<0.01), treatment options (p<0.01), approach to schizophrenic patients (p<0.01), and social interactions (p<0.01)., Conclusion: We claim that the development of positive attitudes should be integrated in to the mental health curriculum not only in particular years but also throughout the whole years of education. Along this continuum, we believe that students would become more aware of the needs of the schizophrenic patients and gain an on going intuition toward the difficulties that the patients encounter. Viewed together, at the stage of acquiring medical/psychological skills students should be given the opportunity to have direct contact with patients in order to give adequate response to patients' needs and thus observe the improvement at the end of the treatment.

Introduction: Health anxiety is seen in the clinical presentation of both somatoform disorders, especially hypochondriasis and anxiety disorders. In this study, we aimed to perform the reliability and validity analyses of the Turkish version of the Health Anxiety Inventory which is used in the assessment of health anxiety., Method: Translation and back-translation of the Health Anxiety Inventory was done. Study groups consisted of in- or out-patients with somatoform disorder (n=65), panic disorder (n=55), major depressive disorder (n=22), and healthy volunteers (n=114). In the assessment, beside the Health Anxiety Inventory, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Somatosensory Amplification Scale and the Trait Anxiety Inventory were used., Results: In reliability analyses, Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient was 0.918 and item-total score correlation coefficients were between 0.405 and 0.769. Test-retest correlation coefficient was r=0.572. In construct validity, two factors that representing 54.5 percent of the total variance were obtained and they represented sensitivity to somatic symptoms and anxiety towards organic diseases. In concurrent validity, it had moderate to good correlation with the other study scales. In the comparison of study groups, the groups of somatoform disorder and anxiety disorder had significantly higher level of health anxiety than the groups with major depressive disorder and of healthy controls., Conclusion: The Turkish version of the Health Anxiety Inventory can be reliably and validly used both in clinical practice and in research., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The authors reported no conflict of interest related to this article. Çıkar çatışması: Yazarlar bu makale ile ilgili olarak herhangi bir çıkar çatışması bildirmemişlerdir.