Aysun Babacan Gümüş

Quality of life, depression, and anxiety among hepatitis B patients.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was designed to determine the depression and anxiety levels, and their effects, on quality of life of patients with chronic Hepatitis B. Chronic infection with Hepatitis B virus has a profound effect on health-related quality of life. Medications, including interferon, that are commonly used to treat chronic viral Hepatitis B may cause depression as an adverse effect. However, little is known about the impact of depression and anxiety on quality of life in patients with Hepatitis B. A total of 96 patients aged between 15 and 61 years were included in the study. Slightly more than half of them (52%) were female. Three scales—the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Scale, and Short Form of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF)—were used in the study. The scores obtained from the BDS in 91.7% of the patients were above the cutoff value of 17. Moreover, 80 patients received interferon. There was a negative correlation between the physical, environmental, and cultural areas on the Beck Anxiety Scale and WHOQOL-BREF (Turkish) (p< .05). A high level of depressive symptoms was established in this study, and the physical, environmental, and cultural aspects of quality of life were determined to increase as the anxiety level increased.

Effectiveness of Online Education in Teaching Breast Self- Examination

BACKGROUND This research evaluated the effectiveness of an online education model in teaching breast self- examination to university staff and students. MATERIALS AND METHODS 1,679 women participated in a breast self-examination online training program. Breast self-examination knowledge evaluation forms developed by Maurer (1997) were used in the research and were evaluated on a 100 point scale. Paired t-test and McNemars Test statistics were employed. RESULTS The participants scored an average of 46.5 (14.0%) on knowledge on breast self-examination before training, but 77.4 (11.0%) one month after education and 76.7 (9.52%) after six months. There was a clear significant difference between these knowledge levels (p<0.05). Similarly, while the rate for systematic practice of breast self-examination among women was 30.8% before training it increased to 47.8% afterwards. Again the difference was significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Online education is an effective method for teaching breast self-examination to women.

Investigation of psychiatric symptoms in nurses working in a hospital / Hastanede çalışan hemşirelerde ruhsal belirtilerin incelenmesi

Objective: This research was conducted to investigate the psychiatric symptoms and factors affecting nurses working in a hospital. Method: This study was carried out in Dr. Burhan Nalbantoglu General Hospital in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The study sample was composed of 360 nurses from different departments of the Hospital. Data were collected by using the Descriptive Data Form created by the researchers and the Symptom Check List (SCL- 90-R). Percentages, averages, Student-t test, one way ANOVA test, Pearson’s correlation analysis were used in the analysis of the data. Results: According to the results of the Symptom Check List, scores were high for somatization in 67.5% of the nurses, for obsessive compulsive symptoms in 57.2%, for interpersonal sensitivity in 52.5%, for depression in 50.3%, for anxiety in 50%, for hostility in 53.3%, for phobic reaction in 45.3%, for paranoid ideation in 60%, for psychoticism in 47.2% and for general symptom level in 50.3% of the nurses. Socioeconomic status, work unit, number of patients cared for by nurses, working position, weekly working hours, number of shifts per month, physical environment, problems with patients, doctors and managers, and problems in the use of equipment were found to have effect on the levels of psychiatric symptoms among nurses. Conclusion: Nurses should be supported psychologically and attention should be given to protect the mental health of nurses. Improving psychological, physical and social conditions in the hospitals can be effective to decrease psychiatric symptoms among nurses.

Bir grup sağlık çalışanında öfke ve mizaç özellikleri: İlişkisel bir inceleme / Anger and temperament characteristics of a group of health workers: a relational analysis

Anger and temperament characteristics of a group of health workers: a relational analysis Objective: The aim of this cross-sectional, causal study was to determine the temperament characteristics, anger and associated variables of medical secretaries. Methods: The study population included medical secretaries working in a university hospital. The sample of the study included 95 individuals who agreed to participate in this research. Study data were obtained using the Socio-demographic Data Form, Temperament and Character Inventory, Trait Anger Expression Inventory. Results: Trait anger was higher in men and divorced ones. Outward anger was higher in individuals with higher level of education. A positive correlation was determined between inward anger and self-transcendence scores of participants. A negative correlation was determined between outward anger and self-transcendence, cooperation, persistence, reward dependence, harm avoidance, novelty seeking scores of participants. A positive correlation was determined between anger control and self-transcendence, cooperation, selfdirectedness, persistence, reward dependence, harm avoidance and novelty seeking scores of participants. Conclusion: These results show that medical secretaries have high trait anger and lack means to express

Investigation of depressive symptoms and related variables with depressive symptoms in alcohol and substance abusers

Investigation of depressive symptoms and related variables with depressive symptoms in alcohol and substance abusers Objective: It is aimed to evaluate the bonding and personality traits which are thought to affect the level of depressive symptoms in alcohol and substance abusers. Methods: The study sample consists of 289 patients diagnosed with alcohol and substance dependence, that have been followed up at inpatient or outpatient units of Ege University, The Institute on Drug Abuse, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science and Ege University, Department of Psychiatry Alcohol/Drug Dependency Unit. In the study, sociodemographic data form, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory (ECRI) were applied by means of face to face interviews. Results: The mean age of the patients in the study was 32.5±11.0 years. It was found that 76.8% of the patients had high levels of depressive symptoms (BDI>17). It was determined that there was a significant difference between the level of avoidant attachment scores and depressive symptoms scores of the patients. In the evaluation of TCI scores according to BDI cut-off scores, it was found that depressive patients (BDI>17) have significant differences on the harm avoidance, cooperate and self-transcendence scores than those non-depressive patients (BDI<17). Conclusion: Our study showed that certain personality and bonding characteristics of the patient affected the depressive symptoms levels.