Voices of adolescent incest victims: a qualitative study on feelings about trauma and expectations of recovery

Background: Incest, is a serious social problem facing society and children/adolescents themselves. The purpose of this study is to explore the ways adolescents talk about and give meaning to their experiences of incest concerning cultural, ethnic factors relevant to southeastern of Turkey. Method: We focused on in-depth interviews of five incest victims (14-16 years girls, from low socioeconomic status in southeastern of Turkey). Results: Four key themes were constructed from the qualitative analysis: 1. Unable to understand/Delayed meaning-making: Adolescents provided definitive information about the first abuse memory but they were also unable to understand what they had experienced so they delayed meaning making. 2. Dysfunctional coping style with the incest: Adolescents told that they threatened the perpetrators in various phases of incest. 3. Avoidance of eye contact by the perpetrator: We recognized that perpetrators avoided social contact with the victim. This theme evokes dehumanizing of women during incest. 4. The urge to destroy happy memories: This theme presents data on the adolescents' expectations about recovery. Conclusion: According to the themes, two fundamental therapeutic precepts could guide the treatment process for adolescent girl incest survivors: 1. Exploration of the delayed meaning making: Therapist could address dysfunctional family functioning and explain that it is normal for a child to be delayed in meaning making. 2. Recovery of the adolescent's lost self after semantic dehumanization in abuses: Therapist should help her to dispute irrational beliefs about worthlessness and to gain control of her body

Assessment of the applications to Kocaeli derince research and education hospital in 2012 and 2013 to obtain disabled children’s health board report

In this study, it is aimed to determine the neurodevelopmental disorders of children and adolescents applied to health committee for the disability, in a definite period. Cases of 0-18 aged 1512 children and adolescents who applied to health committee of our hospital between January 2012-December 2013 were analysed retrospectively. The study included cases whose 37.6% (569) were female and 62.4% (943) were male. The mean age was 7.66±3.8. 36.3% (549) of the cases were in the range of 0-6 years of age, 63.7% (963) of the cases were in the range of 7-18 years of age. The most common diagnoses were developmental delays in the range of 0-6 years of age and intellectual disability in the range of 7-18 years of age. Results of such studies investigating the applications will contribute to the statistical data of disabled population in our country, and will faciliate the organisation of social and educational rights of disabled children and adolescents applied to the health committees. Copyright © 2014 OMU

The perceptions of pediatricians regarding their self-efficacy in child neglect and abuse

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The perceptions of pediatricians regarding their self-efficacy in child neglect and abuse

Child abuse is one of the most severe forms of childhood trauma which has pervasive and long-lasting effects on children, their families, and the society. These effects, impairing the development of the victims, extend far beyond childhood into adolescence and adulthood. Pediatricians are the most common group of clinicians who encounter abused children immediately. Therefore, it is important for a pediatrician to be aware of the symptoms of abuse and neglect, and to feel sufficient about reporting in order to release and prevent the trauma. We aimed to assess awareness and self-efficacy about recognizing, diagnosing and reporting. Pediatricians completed the questionnaire created by the researchers. There were differences about pediatricians' perception of self-efficacy and approach to abuse. Pediatricians experience difficulties about the diagnosis of child abuse and neglect through the process from examination to reporting

The Misinterpretations And Stigmatization Of Teachers On Spesicif Learning Disorders: A Multi-Center Study

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, öğretmenler arasında Özgül Öğrenme Güçlüğü (ÖÖG) hakkındaki damgalama ve yanlış bilgilenme düzeyini araştırmak amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışma Türkiye'nin farklı coğrafi bölgelerinde çalışan öğretmenlere ulaşabilmek amacıyla çok merkezli olarak yürütülmüş, ilköğretimde görev yapan öğretmenlere anket yoluyla ulaşılmıştır. Bulgular: Çalışmaya katılan öğretmenlerin %53.8'i kadın (n:92), %46.2'si erkektir (n:79). Kadınların %60.8'inin, erkeklerin %59.5'inin daha önce ÖÖG tanısını duymuş oldukları, kadınların daha çok doktor ve arkadaşlarından, erkeklerinse televizyondan duydukları saptanmıştır. Erkeklerin ÖÖG'yi daha çok dikkat eksikliğine, kadınlarınsa ailesel ve genetik faktörlere bağladığı, her iki grupta da katılımcıların ortalama %20'sinin ÖÖG olan çocuklarda zeka geriliği olduğuna inandıkları saptanmıştır. ÖÖG belirtilerinden en sık görülenlerin bilinme oranlarını da tarayan anket sonuçlarına göre; kadın öğretmenlerin %54.3'ünün erkek öğretmenlerinse %39.2'sinin tüm belirtileri bildiği, belirtilerden en sık tanınanların ise okuma hızının düşük olması ve harf karıştırma belirtileri olduğu belirlenmiştir. Kadın öğretmenlerin %39.1'inin, erkek öğretmenlerin %51.9 'unun ÖÖG olan çocukların farklı sınıflarda okumaları gerektiğini düşündükleri, kadınların %26.1'inin, erkeklerin %24.1'inin kendi çocuklarının ÖÖG olan bir çocukla sınıf arkadaşı olmasını istemedikleri saptanmıştır. Sonuç: ÖÖG olan çocuklara ilişkin öğretmenlerin bilgi düzeylerinin yeterli olmadığını ve pek çok yanlış değerlendirmenin öğretmenler arasında kabul gördüğünü gösterilmiştir. Öğretmenlere yönelik bilgilendirme ve damgalamayı azaltma yönünde yapılacak çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır.Aim: The purpose was to assess the stigmatization and misinterpretations of teachers on specific learning disorders (SLD). Method: This was a multi-central study aimed to attain teachers from different regions. The questionnaires, including items about features of SLD and tendency to stigma, were attained to teachers by hand or online.Results: 53.8% (n:92) of teachers were women and 46.2% (n:79) were men. The female (60.8%) and male (48.5%) teachers had known about SLD diagnose. They heard SLD from doctors and friends (for women) and television (for men). Female teachers thought genetic factors whereas males thought attention deficit caused SLD. Nearly 20% of them believed that mental retardation occured with SLD. The symptoms of SLD were known by females (54.3%) and males (39.2%). The most known symptoms were reading problems and word confusion during writing. The necessity to train in special classes for students with SLD was supported by 39.1% of women and 51.9% of men. 26.1% of women and 24.1% of men did not prefer their children to be classmate of a SLD child. Conclusion: The results showed that the misinformations and stigmatization about SLD are common among teachers. Education programmes for teachers are needed in order to minimise stigma

Mothers' alexithymia, depression and anxiety levels and their association with the quality of mother-infant relationship: a preliminary study

Objective. To evaluate the relationship between mothers and their developmentally normal infants in terms of maternal alexithymia, depression and anxiety, and marital satisfaction. Methods. Fifty children between 18 and 48 months of age, and their mothers, were referred consecutively to the Infant Mental Health Unit of Ankara University School of Medicine, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. The sociodemographic features of the families and the depressive symptoms, anxiety, marital satisfaction and alexithymia levels of the mothers were assessed. The relationships between children in normal developmental stages and their mothers were evaluated and rated using a structured clinical procedure. Results. There was a negative correlation between the mothers' alexithymia scores and the quality of the mother-infant relationship (p < 0.05). Mothers with high alexithymia showed higher depression and lower relationship qualities than mothers with low alexithymia, according to the correlation analysis. When depression and anxiety were controlled, high alexithymia levels were predictive of a low, impaired mother-infant relationship. Conclusion. Since alexithymia is a trait-like variable which has a negative correlation with impairment in a mother-infant relationship, it must be investigated in the assessment of mothers' interactions with their babies