Ahmet Hamdi Alpaslan

Psychiatric disorders and characteristics of abuse in sexually abused children and adolescents with and without intellectual disabilities

The purpose of this study was to compare sexually abused children and adolescents, with and without intellectual disabilities (ID), in terms of post-abuse psychiatric disorders, features of the sexual abuse, and sociodemographic characteristics. The study included sexually abused children aged 6-16 years, who were sent to three different child mental health units for forensic evaluation; there were 102 cases (69 girls and 33 boys) with ID and 154 cases (126 girls and 28 boys) without ID. Researchers retrospectively examined the files, social examination reports, and the judicial reports of the cases. It was determined that in the group with ID, sexual abuse types including penetration and contact had higher rates, they were exposed to more frequent repeated abuses, the abuses were revealed with their own reports at a later period and lower rates, and post-abuse pregnancies were more frequent. It was also determined that the abuser was a familiar person and a family member at lower rates and more than one abuser was encountered more frequently, compared to the group without ID. While no difference was determined between the two groups in terms of the frequency of post-abuse post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), conduct disorder (CD) was observed more frequently in the group with ID. This study emphasizes that sexual abuse, which is an important problem in individuals with ID, has different features and effects.

Disordered eating attitudes, alexithymia and suicide probability among Turkish high school girls

We aimed to examine association between disordered eating attitudes (DEAs), alexithymia and suicide probability among adolescent females and to explore potential link between alexithymia and suicide probability in subjects with DEAs. 381 female students completed Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Suicide Probability Scale (SPS). It was found that 13.2% (n=52) of the subjects have DEAs. Results indicated that total TAS-20 score and scores of Difficulty in Identifying Feelings (DIF) and Difficulty in Describing Feelings (DDF) subscales were significantly higher in DEAs group than in those non DEAs group (p<0.05). Additionally, total SPS score (p<0.001), Hopelessness (p=0.001), Suicide Ideation (p<0.001) and Hostility (p=0.003) subscales scores of SPS were significantly higher in the alexithymic DEAs than the non-alexithymic DEAs group. In order to control potential effect of depression, SPS subscales were used as covariate factors in ANCOVA. Negative Self-Evaluation subscale yielded a statistically significant difference between groups, other subscales did not. Results point out these; DEAs are relatively frequent phenomenon among female students in Turkey and presence of alexithymia was associated with an increased suicide probability in adolescents with DEAs. The results should be evaluated taking into account that depressive symptomatology was not assessed using a depression scale.

Association of schizophrenia with T102C (rs6313) and 1438 A/G (rs6311) polymorphisms of HTR2A gene

Objective The aim of this study is to investigate whether there were any associations between the T102C and 1438 A/G polymorphisms of the 5-HT2A receptor gene and schizophrenia. We conducted a case–control study of the T102C and 1438 A/G polymorphisms in Turkish patients. Methods We compared genotypes and allele frequencies of T102C and 1438 A/G polymorphisms of 5-HT2A receptor gene in 102 patients with schizophrenia diagnosed, according to DSM-IV, and 107 healthy controls. Genotyping was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results We found no significant association between schizophrenia and genotypic or allele frequencies of HTR2A gene 102T/C (rs6313) and 1438 A/G (6311) polymorphisms. However, comparison of HTR2A gene 102 T/C and 1438 A/G polymorphisms in terms of genotypic and allele frequencies between the two patient groups, with or without a family history of schizophrenia, shows that T- and A-allele frequencies were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the case group that has a history of schizophrenia in their family. Conclusion In conclusion, our results do not support the hypothesis that the T102C and 1438 A/G polymorphisms in the 5-HT2A receptor gene are associated with schizophrenia, but further studies in a larger sample are needed.

Gender Differences in Sexually Abused Children and Adolescents: A Multicenter Study in Turkey

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine gender-based differences in abuse-related characteristics and post-abuse psychiatric disorders among sexually abused children and adolescents. The researchers retrospectively examined files, judicial reports, and social examination reports of 1,250 sexually abused youth cases. Results showed that boys were more often victimized by penetration, force, and physical violence. Incidence of sexual abuse by family members, familiar persons, and multiple persons was higher among girls. In addition, a higher rate of major depressive disorder as well as alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking were found in sexually abused girls. No difference was observed between boys and girls in terms of post-traumatic stress disorder, conduct disorder, and other mental disorders. Intellectual disability was more frequent in boys.

Problematic Internet use was more common in Turkish adolescents with major depressive disorders than controls.

This study compared problematic Internet use (PIU) rates in 12‐ to 18‐year‐olds with major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls and explored potential links between PIU and suicide among patients with MDD.

Association between premenstrual syndrome and alexithymia among Turkish University students

Abstract Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a heterogeneous disorder, which includes physical, cognitive, affective and behavioral symptoms. The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting PMS and the relationship between PMS and alexithymia. The research was performed with 308 students. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-20) and a premenstrual assessment form (PAF). The prevalence of PMS in our sample was 66.6%. The contributing factors to PMS were having a history of psychiatric treatment and having a smoking habit (p < 0.05). The PMS group showed higher scores than the non-PMS group on all the items of the TAS-20 which includes the three factors: difficulty in identifying feelings, difficulty in describing feelings and externally oriented thinking (p < 0.05). The alexithymic students showed higher scores on all PAF subscales (p ≤ 0.001). Further studies are needed to determine the probable role of alexithymia in the pathogenesis of PMS.

A child death as a result of physical violence during toilet training

Enuresis and delayed bladder control are a common source of psychosocial concern for both parents and children. Different cultures have different norms with regard to parenting attitudes. The fact that in Turkey, parents consider enuresis or encopresis as a sign of laziness, misbehavior, or disobedience rather than a medical disorder may cause children to be exposed to physical and emotional violence and maltreatment by the family as a corrective strategy. We present a case in this paper which had a fatal outcome due to physical violence against a child as an educational measure and a toilet training method.

Gender-Related Factors for Depressive Symptoms in Turkish Adolescents

PROBLEM Currently more adolescents suffer from mental health problems than compared to the past. PURPOSE This study was designed to extend the knowledge of depressive symptoms in adolescence and to determine the gender-related factors associated with it. METHODS The study sample consisted of (N = 487) adolescents. The Childrens Depression Inventory (CDI), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ-S), and UCLA loneliness scale (UCLA-LS) were completed by the participants. FINDINGS Among the study population, 26.6% (n = 130) scored ≥ 19 on the CDI, which was the cut-off point. UCLA-LS, hyperactivity and conduct problems, and peer problems subscale scores of SDQ-S were found significantly higher in males (p < .05). Emotional symptoms, pro-social behavior subscale scores of SDQ-S, and a family member, a friend subscale scores of MSPSS were found significantly higher in females (p < .05). For males, loneliness and hyperactivity and conduct problems, while for females, emotional symptoms and loneliness (p < .05) were predictive variables. Pro-social behavior and perceived family member support were protective variables for females scoring high enough to be diagnosed with depression (p < .05). CONCLUSION We suggest further studies to confirm these results as well as establishing strategies for better detection of depressive symptoms when working on adolescents.

A case of severe long-term selective mutism in a child with intellectual disability

Objectives: Selective mutism (SM) is a rare, debilitating condition usually seen in children. Selective mutism is typically found in more girls than boys at a young age, which is unlike many of the childhood disorders. Selective mutism cases have a high prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders. The specific manifestations and severity of these comorbidities vary based on the individual. Results: Here, we report a rare case of a Turkish adolescent male with intellectual disability (ID) presenting continuous mutism for about 2 years. Conclusion: He had significant improvement in his social interactions after the addition of psycho-educational and behavioural interventions to his fluoxetine treatment. The case is discussed in light of the related literature.

Reply to: Fatih Canan "The relationship between internet addiction and eating disorders"

Thank you for providing the opportunity to reply to Dr. Canan’ Letter to the Editor [1], written with respect to our article ‘The association between internet addiction and disordered eating attitudes among Turkish high school students’. We thank Dr. Canan for his interest in our study. We are grateful for the insightful comments to our manuscript and we are happy to respond to his comments as follows. As it can be seen, we have cited the study conducted by Canan et al., (reference #6). ‘In a very recent study conducted in Turkey among high school students, a significant positive correlation was found between Body Mass Index (BMI) and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) scores [2]. It was not our intention to advocate that our article is the just first study, which is investigating the relationship between IA and disordered eating attitudes (DEAs) in our country. Our aim was drawing the readers’ attention to the paucity of research in this area. Kindly, we would like to revise our statement as ‘there have been a few studies investigating the relationship between IA and DEAs in our country’ in an erratum notice [3, 4]. Compliance with ethical standards