Smoking Determinants in Turkish University Students

The aim was to explore the prevalence and the correlates of smoking in a group of Turkish university students. A sample of 1,870 students (21.2 ± 2.0 years old) completed the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Anxiety Sensitivity Index, 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Smoking was highly prevalent (35.9%) in this sample. Male gender (OR = 2.72, CI 2.15–3.44), and parental smoking (OR = 1.41, CI 1.13–1.78) were factors associated with increased likelihood of smoking. Higher depressive symptoms and hopelessness levels were significantly related to smoking behavior. Smoking behavior might initiate as a mild and transient habit and unfortunately could become more serious and lead to an actual dependence. The results of this study show that it is necessary to pay attention to levels of depression and hopelessness, as well as parental influence

Alexithymia and anxiety in female chronic pain patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>Alexithymia is highly prevalent among chronic pain patients. Pain is a remarkable cause for high levels of chronic anxiety. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of alexithymia and to determine anxiety levels among DSM-IV somatoform pain disorder (chronic pain) female patients and to examine the relationship between alexithymia and the self-reporting of pain.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Thirty adult females (mean age: 34,63 ± 10,62 years), who applied to the outpatient psychiatry clinic at a public hospital with the diagnosis of chronic pain disorder (DSM-IV), were included in the study. Thirty seven healthy females (mean age: 34,46 ± 7,43 years), who matched for sociodemographic features with the patient group, consisted the control group. A sociodemographic data form, 26-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-26), Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were administered to each subject and information was obtained on several aspects of the patients' pain, including intensity (measured by VAS), and duration.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Chronic pain patients were found significantly more alexithymic than controls. There was a positive correlation between TAS-26 scores and the duration of pain. The alexithymic and nonalexithymic group did not differ in their perception of pain. Neither positive correlation nor significant difference was found between alexithymia and trait anxiety in pain patients.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Alexithymia may be important in addressing the diversity of subjective factors involved in pain. The conceptualization of alexithymia as a personality trait as well as a secondary state reaction is underlined by our data.</p

Psychologic correlates of eating attitudes in Turkish female college students

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency and correlates of disordered eating attitudes in a university-sample Turkish female population and to evaluate the contribution of maternal psychopathologic symptoms and family functioning

Normative data and factorial structure of the Turkish version of the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised

Objective: Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (J-TCI) was developed by Luby, Svrakic, McCallum, Przybeck, and Cloninger based on Cloninger’s biopsychosocial model to assess temperament and character dimensions in children and adolescents. Methods: The Turkish version of J-TCI-Revised (J-TCI-R) was administered to 1129 elementary and middle-school (male/female, 546/583) students. Internal consistency reliabilities were measured by Cronbach’s alpha; test–retest was assessed across one month. Results: Cronbach’s alphas for the subscales of J-TCI-R ranged from 0.60 to 0.75 for temperament and character subscales, which were comparable to US and other populations. The correlations between baseline and one month after administration of J-TCI-R were highly and statistically significant (r = 0.578–0.674 for scales and 0.366–0.582 for subscales) (n = 795). Factor analysis results using Eigenvalue greater than one rule indicated three out of four factors for temperament scales and one out of two factors for character subscales which were similar to findings from the other countries. When all of the subscales were subjected to factor analysis, four out of six factors were retained. To our knowledge, this is the first study analysing psychometric properties and factorial construct of the J-TCI-R. Conclusions: The internal reliability coefficients and test–retest indicated a good stability of scores over time and the factorial structure was consistent with Cloninger’s model of personality. The reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the TCI is therefore supported