Turkish nurses' burnout levels, job satisfaction, and mental symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Nurses involved in healthcare delivery during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic experience higher levels of burnout, job satisfaction, and mental symptoms than other healthcare professionals did.Objectives: This study examined nurses' burnout level, job satisfaction, and mental symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A descriptive, correlational study was conducted on 262 nurses working at a foundation university hospital in Istanbul between July and December 2021. The data were collected by using the Nurse Information Form, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Minnesota Job Satisfaction Scale, and Mental Symptom Checklist. Data analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Spearman correlation, and Bonferroni post hoc test.Results: Nurses’ Burnout, Job Satisfaction, and Mental Symptom average scores were 70.36±11.00, 2.80±0.49, and 1.20±0.79, respectively. A statistically significant negative and weak relationship was found between burnout, and job satisfaction average scores (r=-0.380; P<0.001). Age, marital status, and income level were associated with burnout, job satisfaction, and mental symptoms (P<0.05).Conclusion: Nurses had a moderate level of burnout, a low level of job satisfaction, and a high level of mental symptoms

Improvement in Attention and Executive Functions During Isotretinoin Treatment in Patients With Acne

Background and Design: We assessed attention, memory, verbal-linguistic ability, and executive functions in acne vulgaris patients before and during isotretinoin treatment.Materials and Methods: Fifty-two treatment-naive acne patients at baseline and 24 at the second visit were evaluated. A neurocognitive battery including the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning and Memory Test, Auditory Consonant Trigram Test, Controlled Word Association Test, Digit Span Test, Trail Making Test A and B and the Stroop Test was used. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) were also applied.Results: We found improvements in attention and executive functions at the second visit in comparison with the baseline evaluations. No alteration was found in verbal episodic memory, learning, working memory, and phonemic verbal fluency (Digit Span Forwards Test p=0.003, Trial Making-A Test p=0.002, Trial Making –B Test p=0.000, Stroop test p=0.028).Discussion: The positive effects of isotretinoin on cognitive functions may be related to the decline in acne lesions and less mental occupation with the social impacts of acne

COVID-19 infection, vaccine status, and avoidance behaviors in adults with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder: A cross-sectional study

Objective: We aim to examine infection risk and vaccine status of COVID-19 in attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and evaluate the impact of demographic, clinical, and COVID-19-related factors on the infection status and behavioral avoidance of COVID-19. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed adults with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder recruited from an outpatient psychiatry clinic. Patients and healthy controls completed a survey on sociodemographic data, COVID-19 infection status, and vaccine status. COVID-19 Disease Perception Scale, COVID-19 Avoidance Attitudes Scale, Attitudes toward COVID-19 Vaccine Scale, Adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Self-report Screening Scale for DSM-5, Adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale Symptoms Checklist, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were applied. Results: Ninety patients and 40 healthy controls participated. Patients did not differ from controls in COVID-19 infection and vaccine status, and behavioral avoidance of COVID-19. No demographic and clinical factor significantly affected the COVID-19 infection status. Patients scored higher than controls in the perception of COVID-19 as contagious (p = 0.038), cognitive avoidance of COVID-19 (p = 0.008), and positive attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine (p = 0.024). After adjustment of possible factors, a positive perception of the COVID-19 vaccine and a perception of COVID-19 as dangerous were the two factors significantly affecting behavioral avoidance of COVID-19 [R2 = 0. 17, F(2) = 13.189, p < 0.0001]. Conclusion: Infection and vaccine status of COVID-19 in patients did not significantly differ from controls. No demographic and clinical factor significantly affected the COVID-19 infection status. Approximately four-fifths of the patients were fully vaccinated as recommended by national and global health organizations. This has increased the knowledge base showing that the COVID-19 vaccine is acceptable and receiving the vaccine is endorsed by ADHD patients. Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder itself may provoke no kind of mental disturbance in sense of perception of the danger of this disease. Our findings have increased the knowledge base showing that the COVID-19 vaccine is acceptable and the actual practice of receiving the vaccine is endorsed in this population. Our message for practice would be to take into account not only the core symptoms and the comorbidities of the disorder but also the perception of the disease while exploring its link with COVID-19

The psychiatric assessment schedule for adults with developmental disability checklist: reliability and validity of Turkish version

Aim/background: There is a lack of psychometric instruments to measure psychopathology in people with intellectual disabilities (ID). This may lead to underdiagnosis of treatable psychiatric comorbidities in this population. Psychiatric assessment schedule for adults with developmental disabilities (PAS-ADD) Checklist was developed as a screening tool designed for lay people. The PAS-ADD Checklist was created in English and was later on validated for other languages, including French and German. There is no psychometric measure available in Turkish to screen for or detect psychiatric symptoms in adults with ID. The aim of the present study was to present a psychometric evidence of the Turkish language version of the PAS-ADD Checklist. This is the first study aiming to present and validate a psychiatric screening instrument for adults with ID in Turkey. Methods: The Turkish version was developed by translation and back translation. The checklist and a structured purpose-designed socio-demographic form were administered to 151 adult individuals with ID of whom 71 were living in care homes, 80 at family home. They all underwent face-to-face psychiatric assessment through clinical examination. The Turkish version of the Checklist was compared with the original English and other language versions, and the psychometric properties were presented. Internal consistency, test–retest reliability, inter-rater reliability, factorial analysis and sensitivity/specificity were calculated. Results: The validity and reliability of the Turkish version seem acceptable with good psychometric properties. The item analysis of the total scale showed strong consistency with Cronbach’s alpha of 0.75. Test–retest reliability for different items (rs: between 0.50 and 0.69) was better than inter-rater reliability (rs: between −0.15 and 0.75) which could be expected given that raters are non-specialist people. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the number of participants who did and did not cross threshold and for whom a psychiatric disorder was or was not present. The sensitivity was 78.7% and specificity was 78.8%. An explanatory principal component factor analysis was conducted on the Turkish version of the Checklist revealed six factors. This six-factor solution explained 54% of variance. The likely reasons for the findings are discussed. Conclusion: Overall, the Turkish version of the PAS-ADD Checklist is an acceptable generic screening tool considering the difficulty of detecting mental health problems in people with ID and the lack of Turkish screening instrument. The Turkish version of the PAS-ADD Checklist can be recommended as a general screening tool for psychiatric disorders in adults with ID. It will contribute to early diagnosis and management of mental health problems and therefore improve the quality of life of those with ID and their family/care givers

Neuropsychiatric disorders and risk factors in carbon monoxide intoxication

Kandis, Hayati/0000-0001-9151-6050WOS: 000291038300002PubMed: 21088053Neuropsychiatric sequelae may be observed in the late phases of carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication. Establishing a link between CO-related neuropsychiatric disorders and associated risk factors may decrease morbidity and mortality by means of appropriate treatment and counseling. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between neuropsychiatric outcomes of CO intoxication and demographic and clinical variables. Thirty patients who presented with CO intoxication and had no known neuropsychiatric disease, and 30 healthy controls were included. Physical examinations and laboratory tests were performed. Following the 1st therapy, they underwent mental and psychiatric tests 5 times (the time of discharge, during the 1st week, and during the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months). They underwent cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at the end of the 1st month. They were evaluated by cognitive function tests at the 6th month. Lesions relevant to CO intoxication were detected in 46.7% of the patients via cranial computed tomography and in 13.3% via MRI. Evaluation of psychiatric tests revealed a clear decrease in cognitive functions, such as immediate memory, learning, reaching the criterion, spontaneous recall, attention, visual memory, and logical memory. It was found that the patients had anxiety within the 1st month, and the frequency of anxiety reached to the value of the control group by the end of the 6th month. In conclusion, we suggested that CO intoxication might lead to neuropsychiatric disorders. Our results emphasized that in addition to standard treatment, neuropsychiatric evaluation should also be performed in patients with CO intoxication

Oxidative stress and inflammatory response in patients with psoriasis; is there any relationship with psychiatric comorbidity and cognitive functions?

Objectives: Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease which has been linked to psychopathology. Oxidative stress and inflammation are associated with atherogenesis and neuronal stress thus, cognitive functions might be impaired in psoriasis patients. We aimed to compare psychiatric comorbidity, neurocognitive functions, oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine levels in psoriasis patients with healthy controls, besides to evaluate the effect of oxidative stress and inflammation on comorbidity and cognitive functions in psoriasis patients. Methods: A total of 37 patients (11 male and 26 female) aged between 18 and 65 years with at least 5 years of education who applied to the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic of the study hospital between study period; diagnosed with psoriasis by physical examination and histopathological evaluation were included in the study. The control group was formed from healthy individuals working for the hospital. Sociodemographic data form, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Semantic Verbal Fluency Test (K-A-S), Öktem Verbal Memory Processes Test, Auditory Consonant Trigram Test and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were performed to all participants. In addition, blood samples of participants were analysed to assess total oxidant stress (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI) and proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 levels. Results: BDI and BAI scores, TOS, OSI, TNF-α and IL-6 levels of psoriasis patients were significantly higher than controls. Besides, the cognitive domains of learning, recall and verbal fluency in psoriasis patients were shown to be impaired. The increased levels of depression and anxiety in psoriasis did not significantly affect the serum TAS, TOS and OSI levels. Increased IL-6 and TNF-α levels were not significantly related to depression in patients with psoriasis. Conclusion: Psoriasis patients have higher risk factors than healthy controls for cognitive impairment, independent of depression, inflammation and oxidative stress levels

Relationship of Asymmetrical Dimethylarginine, Nitric Oxide, and Sustained Attention during Attack in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

We investigated the relationship of serum nitric oxide (NO) and asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels with cognitive functioning in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). 41 MDD patients (Beck depression scale scores >16) and 44 controls were included in the study. Rey verbal learning and memory test, auditory consonant trigram test, digit span test, Wisconsin card sorting test, continuous performance task (TOVA), and Stroop test scores were found to be impaired in patients with major depressive disorder when compared to healthy controls. There was no significant difference between patient and control groups in terms of serum NO and ADMA. Serum NO levels were correlated with TOVA test error scores and Stroop test time scores, whereas serum ADMA levels were negatively correlated with TOVA test error scores. Metabolic detriments especially in relation to NO metabolism in frontal cortex and hypothalamus, psychomotor retardation, or loss of motivation may explain these deficits