Veli Duyan

The attitudes of the undergraduate nursing students towards lesbian women and gay men.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to determine the attitudes of undergraduate nursing students towards lesbian women and gay men. BACKGROUND Nursing education in Turkey is conducted holistically; in other words, it is an integration of the physical, spiritual, mental and social realms. Students are therefore expected to not express any discrimination due to factors such as religion, language, race and gender. However, some serious problems still exist in terms of the practical applications of that philosophy. DESIGN This study was descriptive. METHODS This study included 964 students. The Attitudes towards Lesbian Women and Gay Men scale and a questionnaire were used to learn about the attitudes of undergraduate nursing students regarding gay men and lesbian women. RESULTS Results of this study have indicated that the attitudes of religiously educated and/or conservative students towards lesbian women and gay men were negative. Female students from families with high incomes and highly educated families attended social activities and read more than other female students. The students with free life choice options expressed very positive attitudes towards gay men. CONCLUSION The nursing education curriculum should cover information about patients with diverse sexual orientations and their absolute rights for equally optimal healthcare. Strategies to discourage traditional gender role stereotypes and educational and media experiences for better acceptance of sexual minorities need to be developed by educational policy makers. Antidiscrimination policies protecting lesbian women and gay men should be developed by the legislative authorities and then taught to students during their nursing education. Getting familiar with diverse sexual orientations might create awareness among nursing students and reduce their attitudinal and behavioural prejudices and biases. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE To provide equal healthcare services for all patients, nurses must have accurate information about lesbian women, gay men and modify their attitude and behaviour accordingly.

Attitudes of social work students towards older people

Demographic ageing is a challenge for many countries. Even though Turkey has a relatively younger demographic composition, the proportion of the older people (65+) within the population is rapidly increasing. Within this framework, older people are becoming more important clients for both social work students and social workers in Turkey. This study aims to reveal the attitudes of social work students towards older people and determine the various factors that affect their views on older persons. In the scope of the project, Kogans Attitude Towards Old People Scale was applied to 419 social work undergraduate students at a university located in Central Anatolia. The findings showed that social work students scored a mean of 130.96 and they generally had positive attitudes towards older people. The correlation between year of study, gender and age was not statistically significant. However, having lived mostly in urban areas was positively correlated with the mean Kogan scores and this finding was found to be statistically significant. Exposure to personal contact with older people at both the personal and professional levels was influential in shaping attitudes about the older people.

Fetal health locus of control in a sample of pregnant Turkish women

BACKGROUND/AIM To examine the relationship between sociodemographic and pregnancy features and fetal health locus of control (FHLC) in a sample of pregnant Turkish women. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted with 256 pregnant women. Data were collected by demographic questionnaire and the FHLC Scale consisting of 3 components: 1) Internality Scale (FHLC-I), 2) Powerful Others Scale (FHLC-P), and 3) Chances Scale (FHLC-C). RESULTS The age of marriage was found to have a positive relation with FHLC-I (r = 0.141) and a negative relation with FHLC-C (r = -0.145) (P < 0.05). The age of first pregnancy was found to have a positive relation with FHLC-I (r = 0.127). Those who have a low educational level (r = -0.258) and income (r = -0.149), who are unemployed (r = -2.839), whose number of pregnancies is high (r = 0.152), who get pregnant unplanned (r = 3.839), and who come to their first prenatal examination late (r = -0.142) have a significantly high score of FHLC-C (P <0.05). CONCLUSION It may be helpful for better outcomes of prenatal care to identify pregnant women who believe that their behavior has little effect on the health of their fetus and that it is controlled by chance.

Using Movies to Change Homophobic Attitudes of Social Work Students: Turkish Example

Objectives: This article examines homophobic attitude changes among undergraduate social work students in two major universities located in Ankara, Turkey. Method: The research was conducted in Ankara for 10 weeks with 54 volunteer students from Ankara University and Hacettepe University. During one term, nine movies were screened, a get-acquainted meeting was held, three information booklets were distributed, and the Homosexuality Attitudes Scale (HAS) was given at the beginning and end of the term. Results: The mean HAS score at the pretest was 166.28 (SD = 35.33), and the mean posttest score was 146.93 (SD = 41.09). A paired samples t-test found this reduction to be statistically significant at p < .05 level, with a Cohen’s d effect size of .52, r = .25. Conclusions: These results are consistent with the hypothesis that viewing gay-friend mainstream movies can contribute to a reduction in prejudice again homosexuals. Viewing such movies may be an important component of social work education aimed at enhancing favorable views toward diverse sexual orientations and promoting social workers’ ability to effectively engage with gays and lesbians in practice.

Examination of personality traits and social problem-solving skills of individuals whose driving licenses have been confiscated due to drunk driving

ABSTRACT Objective: Drunk driving is one of the major behavioral issues connected with problematic alcohol consumption. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between personality traits and social problem-solving skills of individuals who drive while intoxicated. Method: One hundred forty-four individuals apprehended twice while driving drunk and sent to a driver behavior training program (9 females and 135 males) participated in our study. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised–Abbreviated (EPQ-RA) composed of 4 subscales (Extroversion, Neuroticism, Psychoticism, and Lying) and the Social Problem Solving Inventory (SPSI) composed of 7 subscales (Cognitive, Emotion, Behavior, Problem Definition and Formulation, Creating Solution Options, Solution Implementation and Verification, and Decision Making) were used to evaluate the participants. Results: A positive relationship was found between the Extroversion subscale of the EPQ-RA and the Cognition subscale (P <.01), Emotion subscale (P <.01), Behavior subscale (P <.01), Generation of Alternatives subscale (P <.01), Decision Making subscale (P <.05), and Solution Implementation and Verification subscale (P <.01). For individuals who repeated intoxicated driving, all subscales of the EPQ-RA (Extroversion, Lying, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism subscales) explained 12% of the scores of the Cognition subscale and 16.2% (P <.001) of the Emotion subscale of the SPSI. There was no significant relationship between the first and second incident alcohol blood levels (P >.05). Conclusion: Drinking and driving behaviors appear to be negative or maladaptive behaviors closely related to personality traits and may represent an effort to avoid negative emotions. Evaluation of negative emotions may have an important place in training programs intended to change drunk driving behavior.

The Effects of Group Work with Institutionalized Elderly Persons.

Objectives: This research article aims to measure the effects of group therapy on institutionalized elderly in terms of reducing depression and improving psychosocial functioning. Methods: Thirty elderly nursing home residents were recruited, and 16 of them elected to receive group treatment for depression and 14 declined treatment. The Multidimensional Observation Scale for Elderly Subjects and the Geriatric Depression Scale were given to both groups when group work began and again when it ended. Results: Clients who received group treatment experienced reductions in depression and their psychosocial functioning improved. Conclusion: Group work intervention was followed by reductions in the depression levels and improvements in their psychosocial functions among institutionalized elderly clients.

Opinions of Social Workers in Turkey About the Principles on Die with Dignity

The conditions how people will spend their very last moments are an increasingly debated topic in Turkey. This study is planned to learn the opinions of Social Workers in Turkey on “Principles of a good death.” The results of this study reveal that social workers in Turkey agree with principles of a good death in general. The degree of support for some specific principles changes by the sex and age of the participants. Despite the significant support given to principles by social workers, majority of them do not think that these principles are currently followed in medical and care institutions in Turkey.

The Effectiveness of “Improvement of Driver-Behavior Program” on Self-Control of Individuals Whose Driving Licenses Have Been Seized due to Drinking and Driving.

Objective: The aim of the current study to evaluate the effectiveness of “Improvement of Driver-Behavior Program” on Self-Control of individuals whose driving licenses have been seized for two years due to drinking and driving. Methods: Study sample consisted of 60 volunteers whose driving licenses have been seized for two years due to getting stopped for drunk driving for the second time and who were participated in improvement of driver-behavior program. Self-Control Scale was administered to the group before, at the 6’th week and after the 12-week program. Results: When we examined the Self-Control Scale (SCL) scores; means were 51±17.69. 6 at the first assessment, 54.23±15.61 at the 6’th week, and 48.86±17.76 at the 12’th of the program. Therefore, the alteration in Self-Control Scale Scores during the program was statistically not significant ( F=1,434; p=0.236).Further pair-wise comparison revealed that only the difference between the SCL scores at 6’th and 12’th weeks was statistically significant (p:0,005).Besides, ANCOVA analysis revealed that the age had significant effect on the difference between the SCL scores at the 6’th and 12’th weeks (F=3,858; p:0.027). Conclusion: We conclude that the quality of “Driver-Behavior Improvement Program” should be enhanced by extending the duration of the education and addressing the age factor in improving self-control features of the relevant individuals.

The Comparison of Grandparents’, Parents’, and Young People's Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men in Turkey

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to compare attitudes toward lesbians and gay men across three generations in Turkey. Participants were 112 young people, 169 parents, and 125 grandparents. A total of 406 men and women were involved. The short form of Hereks (1998) the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale was used. MANOVAs and ANOVAs were used to analyze the data. Results showed the attitudinal differences toward gay and lesbian people across generations. Grandparents have the most negative attitudes, whereas parents have more negative attitudes than their children. When comparing attitudes of each generation across sex, we found that young women have more liberal attitudes toward gay men compared to all other groups. Discussion focuses on understanding the results within the unique cultural context of Turkey.

Psychiatric social work needs of families having children with mental diseases in Turkey

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