Emine Gül Kapçi

How Applicable Are Ages and Stages Questionnaires for Use With Turkish Children

The majority of eligible children cannot access early intervention services in Turkey, often because they are not assessed. The authors adapted the Ages and Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) for Turkish children ages 3 to 72 months. Study participants consisted of 375 children who were classified as at risk for developmental delays, 564 children considered not at risk for developmental delays (both groups according to standardized assessments), and 39 children with known disabilities. The ROC analyses indicated that a two-domain criterion for classification would be used to classify children as at risk, unlike the original ASQ, which had a one-domain classification. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of ASQ were .94, .85, .97, and .75, respectively. Test—retest and interrater reliabilities calculated as overall percentage agreements were found to be 82% and 87%, respectively. The results demonstrated that the ASQ could be used to screen Turkish children who are at risk for developmental delays.

Pre-School Education in Turkey: Policies and Practices in Their Historical Context.

This paper is about pre‐school education policies and practices in Turkey. Firstly, the history organisation, educational programmes, teacher training and demographics of children who attend the pre‐school education institutions are summarised. Secondly, studies and projects to extend pre‐school education opportunities are outlined. Finally, the problem facing improvement in the rate and quality of pre‐school education institutions are discussed.

The Accuracy of Dysphoric and Nondepressed Groups' Predictions of Life Events

The phenomenon of depressive realism was examined in relation to the future prediction of positive and negative life events. A group of dysphoric (n = 20) and nondepressed (n = 38) British undergraduates participated in a prospective study lasting 3 months. Partly consistent with the depressive realism hypotheses, dysphoric participants were more realistic concerning the negative life events they would experience, but they were less realistic concerning the negative life events they would not experience. Although no difference was found for predicting the occurrence of positive life events, dysphoric participants were found to be more realistic concerning positive life events that they would not experience.

The development and psychometric evaluation of a support scale for pre‐school inclusion

This study aimed to develop a new scale, the ‘Supports Scale For Preschool Inclusion’ (SSPI), to assess pre‐school teachers’ perceptions of necessary factors and availability of supports for a successful inclusion in pre‐school educational settings. Pre‐school teachers (n = 183, mean age = 32.81, standard deviation = 8.29) from all regions of Turkey participated in the study. They were asked to fill in each item of the SSPI for two dimensions, namely necessity and support dimensions, by rating on a four‐point Likert‐type scale from 1 (none) to 4 (completely). A number of reliability and validity analyses—such as internal consistency, test–retest reliabilities and factor and criterion validities—were conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the SSPI. The results showed that the 34‐item respondent‐based scale is a reliable and valid instrument to assess pre‐school teachers’ perception of necessities and availabilities of supports for successful inclusion. Findings were discussed in relation to the usage of the scale in inclusive settings.

Test of the Hopelessness Theory of Depression: Drawing Negative Inference from Negative Life Events

The hopelessness theory of depression, i.e., that drawing negative inference from the occurrence of negative life events culminates in depression, was examined. A total of 34 dysphoric and 36 nondepressed undergraduate students participated in a two-stage prospective study lasting three months. The subjects completed the Beck Depression Inventory and Hopelessness Scale at both sessions and the Life Events Experience List at the second session. It is concluded that the inference of negative characteristics about the self from negative life events, coupled with the experience of negative life events contributes to the development of depression through hopelessness. The findings are discussed in relation to the Abramson, et al. hopelessness model of depression.

Sociodemographic characteristics of Turkish parents in relation to their recognition of emotional maltreatment

OBJECTIVES To develop an instrument which could assess the extent to which emotionally maltreating parental behavior was recognized by Turkish parents (Study 1) and to evaluate a group of parental and family characteristics that were related with their recognition of emotional maltreatment (Study 2). METHODS Self-administered instruments were used in both studies. In Study 1, a representative sample consisting of a total of 498 parents of children attending public and private preschools, elementary, and high schools in Ankara, were recruited. A 21-item Recognition of Emotional Maltreatment Scale (REMS) was developed. In addition to exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed and convergent validity was examined by utilizing the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI) and the Parental Acceptance Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ). Its test-retest reliability and internal consistency were also investigated. In Study 2, a total of 296 parents who were various public and private sector office workers and maintenance employees were recruited. Parents completed a socio-demographic form and the REMS. RESULTS In Study 1, exploratory factor analyses revealed four factors. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the four-factor model met the criteria standards for adequacy of fit. A moderate correlation of the REMS with CAPI and PARQ (r=.40 and .44, respectively) supported its convergent validity. Its test-retest stability was .73 and internal consistency was .70. In Study 2, a three-way analysis of variance showed that gender of the parent, family income and parent education were significant. Correlation analyses showed that there were significant negative correlations of mean REMS scores with parental age (r=-.27; p<.0001) and positive correlations with number of children in the family (r=.20; p<.007). Mothers who were housewives had higher mean REMS scores than employed mothers. CONCLUSIONS The REMS had acceptable validity and reliability properties. Fathers, parents with lower income and lower education levels showed lesser recognition of child emotional maltreatment. Maternal unemployment, younger parent age and more children in the family were related with lower levels of recognition. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS This is the initial effort in developing an instrument that may guide professionals in the selection and assessment of at-risk parent groups which need educational programs regarding child emotional maltreatment.

Psychoeducation and Expressed Emotion by Parents of Children with Learning Disorders

The present study assessed use of a psychoeducation group program on expressed emotion, family functioning, and child behavior by parents of children with learning disorders. 81 parents of children with learning disorders were randomly assigned to a psychoeducation group program (n = 46) or to a regular treatment group (n = 35). A semistructured interview for parental expressed emotion, self-reports of family functioning, and child behavior were utilized at baseline and after an 8-session psychoeducation group program. Parents who attended the program differed significantly from parents in the regular treatment group on measures of criticism, warmth, and positive remarks, and overall expressed emotion, but not on measures of perceived family functioning and child behavior. Findings indicate a psychoeducation group program could be effective in helping parents to establish a more positive emotional climate in their relationships with their children who have learning disorders.

The Reliability and Validity of the Preschool Behaviour Checklist to Turkish Nursery Children.

This study reports on the validity and reliability of the Pre‐school Behaviour Checklist (PBCL) to Turkish nursery children. Data were obtained from a total of 432 girls (47.89%) and 470 boys (52.10%) attending two type of nurseries, state (n = 505, 56%) and private (n = 397, 44%) in Ankara/Turkiye with a mean age of 51 months (SO. 11.12). The validity of the PBCL were examined by criterion and construct validity; the reliability of the PBCL, were examined by internal consistency, test‐retest reliability and inter‐rater agreement. The findings suggest that the PBCL has psychometric properties comparable to British sample (McGuire & Richman, 1986) and could be used with Turkish nursery children.

Okul Ruh Sağlığı Hizmetlerinde Yaşanan Sorunlar: Psikolojik Danışmanların Görüşleri

Early and timely identification of children having emotional-behavioral disorders and providing mental health services that they are in need of is very important. Schools are establishments through which it is most probable to reach children and provide services or refer them to appropriate services. School psychological counselors have a key role to provide services known as school mental health services. The present study aimed to identify the problems encountered in relation to school mental health services. This study is designed as a qualitative typical case study. A total of 22 school counselors from city of Amasya participated in the study. Data were collected through interview. In order to find out the themes, a coding procedure was utilized. The emerging themes are as follows: “Expectations, duties and responsibilities: We do not know what we are”; “Sources of the problem: It is all due to families”; “A collaborative school mental health services” and “We did not learn it properly: Problems encountered during undergraduate education”. Each theme was construed exclusively and they were also discussed in relation to the roles of school psychological counselors and the provision of school mental health services in educational settings.