Ümran Tüzün

Suicide attempt and self-mutilation among Turkish high school students in relation with abuse, neglect and dissociation.

Abstract A questionnaire consisting of items about abuse, neglect, self‐mutilation and suicide attempt and the Turkish Version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale were given to 862 high school students. The rates of suicide attempt and self‐mutilative behaviors were 10.1% and 21.4%, respectively. Abused or neglected groups (34.3%) had 7.6‐fold higher suicide attempts and 2.7‐fold higher self‐mutilation behaviours. The logistic regression model showed that each type of trauma and dissociation contributed to suicide attempts and self‐mutilation, but dissociation was the most powerful. Suicidal and self‐destructive adolescents should precisely be evaluated for abuse, neglect and dissociation in clinical practice.

Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the adolescent dissociative experiences scale

The Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale (A‐DES) is designed to measure dissociation in adolescents. The present study aimed to assess the reliability, validity, and psychometric characteristics of the Turkish version of the A‐DES. The Turkish version of the A‐DES was administered to 20 patients with a dissociative disorder, 24 patients with post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 31 patients with anxiety disorder, 31 patients with mood disorder, 24 patients with attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 201 non‐clinical participants. The internal consistency and the test–retest correlation of the A‐DES were excellent. The mean total score of A‐DES was 6.2 in dissociative disorder, 3.9 in PTSD, 2.1 in anxiety disorder, 2.4 in mood disorder, 2.5 in ADHD groups and 2.4 in non‐clinical participants. There was a statistically significant difference between dissociative patients and other diagnostic groups on the A‐DES total score. The good psychometric characteristics of the A‐DES among Turkish participants support its cross‐cultural validity.

Reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Child Dissociative Checklist

Abstract Objective: This paper investigated the psychometric characteristics of the Turkish Version of the Child Dissociative Checklist (CDC). Method: The CDC was translated by the authors and discrepancies were resolved by consensus. It was administered to a sample consisting of 9 DID, 28 DDNOS, 35 anxiety disorder, 22 mood disorder, 22 ADHD, and 88 non-psychiatric comparison children and adolescents (N = 204, age range 6-17 years). Parents or caretakers completed the measure at the hospital for patient groups. Controls were recruited through school. A 5-month test-retest was performed on a mixed patient and control group (N = 34). Results: The test-retest coefficient was 0.59. The split-half was 0.85. For the whole sample (N = 204), Cronbachs alpha coefficient was 0.89. Spearman rank-order correlations were calculated between each item and item-corrected score totals and were all significant at p < 0.001 except for item 17. A Kruskal-Wallis comparison across the different groups with pair-wise comparisons was highly significant. The median score of CDC was 25.0 in DID, 16.5 in DDNOS, 4.0 in anxiety disorder, 5.0 in mood disorder, 5.5 in ADHD groups and 2.0 in non-clinical controls. Conclusion: This paper establishes the validity and reliability of the Turkish translation of the CDC as well as providing cross-cultural documentation of significant dissociation occurring in children and adolescents in Turkey.

A 5-year-old boy with recurrent mania successfully treated with carbamazepine

In the present paper the clinical symptomatology and treatment of childhood mania that was first seen in a child at 5 years of age and which re‐emerged at age 7, is reported. The patient presented at the child and adolescent psychiatric outpatient clinic of Istanbul Medical University with the typical symptoms of mania such of hyperactivity, euphoria, irritability, dangerous and risky behavior, decreased sleep, and age‐inappropriate sexual behavior. He was treated with carbamazepine safely and effectively without any major side‐effects. Clinical phenomenology and treatment of the condition are discussed with relevant literature.

Group A beta hemolytic streptococcal infections and obsessive‐compulsive symptoms in a Turkish pediatric population

Abstract  The purpose of the present study was to evaluate obsessive‐compulsive disease (OCD) in Turkish Children who had group A beta hemolytic streptococcal (GABHS) infections and those who had not. Thirty‐one children and adolescents (the study group) were compared with 28 children and adolescents. The Childrens Yale‐Brown Obsessive‐Compulsive Scale (CY‐BOCS) scores were rated between study group and control group. The mean score, obsession and compulsion scores of CY‐BOCS in the study group were significantly higher than they were in the control group (P < 0.05). The GABHS infections should be assessed in the etiology of OCD in children. Considering GABHS infections may help the treatment of OCD.

Acute Psychological Reactions of Children and Adolescents after the Marmara Earthquake: A Brief Preliminary Report

An earthquake took place in August 1999 in the Marmara region of Turkey. A psychiatry team from Istanbul arrived two weeks later. Children and adolescents under 19 years of age were evaluated by a child and adolescent psychiatrist. A semi-structured clinical interview was administered to every patient presented. In addition, a non-structured, clinical interview was administered. One hundred and two children and adolescents were interviewed. The most frequent complaint was a ‘fear of being alone’ (96%), and the most common diagnosis given to these patients was acute stress disorder (74.5%). A considerable number of children started experiencing severe psychological symptoms immediately after the earthquake. Psychological support and treatment should be started as soon as possible, in such circumstances.