Biomedical subjects

Serpil Erermis

Publications and source records attributed to Serpil Erermis.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

The characteristics of separation-individuation in Turkish High School students.

The aim of the present study was examine the characteristics of separation-individuation in Turkish high school students and to investigate the contribution of sociodemographic variables on this second individuation process of adolescence. The sample consisted of 618 adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 in three urban and two rural high schools (338 females and 280 males). Measures used included a demographic questionnaire and the Separation-Individuation Test of Adolescence (SITA), developed by Levin, Green, and Millon (1986). Results indicated that the 16-year-old group had significantly higher mean scores on the Engulfment Anxiety, Dependency Denial, and Rejection Expectancy subscales than the 15-year-old group. Males had significantly higher scores on the Practicing-Mirroring subscale than girls. Tenth graders had significantly higher mean scores on the Practicing-Mirroring, Nurturance Seeking, Peer Enmeshment, Teacher Enmeshment, and Healthy Separation subscales but the mean scores on the Dependency Denial and Engulfment Anxiety subscales decreased. The means scores on the Practicing-Mirroring, Dependency, Denial, Separation Anxiety, Teacher Enmeshment, and Rejection Expectancy subscales were significantly different among the socioeconomic status groups. Also, rural adolescents can be distinguished from urban counterparts by their increased tendency to perceive themselves as self-centered, to experience separation anxiety, to seek close interpersonal ties with caretakers, teachers, and peers, and by an integration of needs for dependence and independence. The general pattern of results investigating the separation-individuation development of Turkish adolescents suggested that compared with individualistic Western cultures, Turkish culture stressed the importance of connection as well as separation and psychic restructuring and interpersonal relatedness changes leading to an autonomous self within relational contexts.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Could personality traits modify the response to uncorrected high hyperopia?

PURPOSE: We aimed to measure temperament and investigate personality in children with high hyperopia considering that these could modify the individual response to uncorrected high hyperopia. METHODS: Fifteen children (age range, 5 to 12 years) with orthotropia and ametropic amblyopia in the presence of uncorrected high hyperopia were identified (group 1). Among the children with refractive accommodative esotropia, 15 children (age range, 5 to 12 years) were enrolled to form group 2. We measured the temperament by using the Children's Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ) Short Form. The Children's Apperception Test (CAT-H) was also administered to all subjects. RESULTS: Regarding the temperament scales measured by CBQ, themes of discomfort, fear, and shyness were more dominant in group 2; high-intensity pleasure and smiling-laughter were dominant in group 1. However the difference was statistically significant only for fear scale (P = 0.045). CAT-H results revealed that aggression toward the parents was the most commonly encountered behavioral pattern in both groups. The children in group 1 were more likely to express passive-aggressive behavioral pattern. Obstinacy and anal period characteristics dominate in the children in group 2. Themes of narcissistic injury was more frequently expressed by these children. CONCLUSION: The temperament scales and personality traits could play a role in the modification of the individual response to uncorrected high hyperopia. This finding deserves more research in a larger study group.

Child↗

PubMed2005

Psychosocial implications of Thalassemia Major.

BACKGROUND: Many causes including the chronicity of disease, burden of treatment modalities, morbidities, and the expectation of early death resulting from the disease complications, may lead to psychosocial burden in Thalassemia Major (TM) patients. METHODS: A total of 38 patients with TM and their mothers were recruited to evaluate the psychosocial burden as well as to disclose whether the psychological status of the patients contribute to the compliance with the therapy or to the contrary. Demographic and disease variables were obtained. Child Behavior Check-list (CBCL) was completed by the mothers of the patients. A detailed psychiatric interview based on the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual diagnostic criteria was performed for each patient. Symptom Distress Checklist 90 (SCL-90) scale was given to all mothers for evaluating their psychopathology. RESULTS: Although CBCL scores remained between the normal ranges, desferrioxamine mesylate (DFO)-compliant patients and the patients with lower ferritin values had significantly higher scores. A total of 24% of the patients had a psychiatric diagnosis including major depression, anxiety disorder, tic disorder, and enuresis nocturnal. The psychiatric diagnosis was significantly higher in the patients who were compliant with desferrioxamine compared with the non-compliant group (P = 0.007). The SCL-90 scores indicated that the mothers who had a child with good adherence to DFO had higher scale scores than the mothers with a poor adherent child. CONCLUSIONS: The increase risk of psychosocial and behavioral problems in thalassemics and their parents indicated the importance of a lifelong psychosocial support for the prevention of mental health issues. The patients and their parents, who were more conscious of the illness, were more worried but more compliant with the therapy and need stronger psychiatric support.

Blood Transfusion↗

PubMed2004

Is obesity a risk factor for psychopathology among adolescents?

BACKGROUND: Although several studies have documented the existence of psychopathology in obese adolescents, disagreement remains regarding the extent and nature of this psychopathology. The aim of the present study was to explore the type and frequency of psychopathology in a clinical as well as a non-clinical sample of obese adolescents, and in a normal weight control group. METHODS: The study sample consisted of a clinical study group of 30 obese adolescents, a non-clinical obese group of 30 obese adolescents, and a control group of 30 normal weight adolescents. Psychological assessment was performed using a non-structured psychiatric interview, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Children Depression Inventory (CDI), Rosenberg Self-esteem scale (SES) and the Eating Attitude Test (EAT). RESULTS: More than half of the clinical obese adolescents (16/30) had a DSM-IV diagnosis, often involving major depressive disorder (n = 10). The mean scores of anxiety-depression, social problems, social withdrawal and total problem in the CBCL scale of the clinical obese group were significantly higher than the non-clinical obese group and the normal weight control group. The mean total scores of the SES and the CDI of the clinical obese group were higher than the normal weight control group. The mean total score of EAT of the clinical obese group was significantly higher than the normal weight control group, and the mean score of EAT of the non-clinical obese group was significantly higher than the normal weight control group. CONCLUSIONS: The results support previously published reports which show a higher ratio of psychopathology (depression, behavioral problems, low-esteem) among clinical obese adolescents than among non-clinical obese adolescents. Findings provided evidence for a psychosocial at-risk population in a subgroup of obese adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Tension-type headache in children: a clinical evaluation.

BACKGROUND: Headache Society (IHS) criteria for episodic tension-type headache were included in the present study. Pain characteristics, associated symptoms, and stress-triggering factors were evaluated. Psychiatric and psychosocial evaluations were performed according to DSM-IV criteria. RESULTS: Pain was bilateral in 93.7% of patients and bitemporal in 50% of children. The intensity of pain increased with motion and stress in more than half of the patients, while pain decreased with rest and massage in 43.7% of patients. Ten of the 16 (62.5%) patients were diagnosed as having a psychiatric disorder. The most common stress-triggering factors were difficulty in adaptation at school and relationship problems with family members. All of the children reported 26 stress factors. Of these stress factors, 20 (76.9%) were reported by children diagnosed with psychiatric disorder. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that in children with tension-type headache a thorough psychiatric evaluation should be performed to rule out underlying psychiatric disorders.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Quinacrine-induced psychiatric disturbances in a child with common variable immunodeficiency and chronic giardiasis.

Psychiatric disorders due to quinacrine for antiparasitic therapy represent an infrequent, but serious, complication. The remarkable course of a 12-year-old boy with common variable immunodeficiency who developed severe psychiatric reactions following quinacrine therapy for his resistant chronic giardiasis is presented. The broad clinical spectrum of quinacrine-associated neuropsychiatric disturbances has been emphasized for the clinicians.

Anti-Anxiety Agents↗

PubMed2002

Sodium valproate prophylaxis in childhood migraine.

UNLABELLED: Migraine is a cause of recurrent headache in childhood. The efficacy of sodium valproate is well known in the prophylactic treatment of adult migraine, but there are few studies involving the drug's effect in pediatric migraine. OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of sodium valproate in the prophylactic treatment of childhood migraine. METHODS: Fifteen children with migraine according to International Headache Society criteria were included in the study. Headache severity was measured and assessed by Algology unit by a using visual analog scale and a numerical rating scale. All of the subjects were asked to keep a headache diary for 8 weeks. Three subjects who had no headache attacks during the baseline period and two cases who were lost to follow up were excluded. Thus, sodium valproate was initiated in 10 subjects (six boys, four girls), 500 mg/night, and the daily dose was increased up to 1000 mg according to blood levels. Their ages ranged from 9 to 17 (mean age 13.6 +/- 3.2 years). Therapy continued for at least 12 weeks. RESULTS: Headache severity as measured via the mean visual analog score was 6.8 +/- 1.8 at baseline and was 0.7 +/- 1.2 at the end of the treatment period (P = 0.000). Mean headache attacks per month were 6 +/- 4.2 at baseline and were 0.8 +/- 1.9 at the end of the treatment period (P = 0.002). The duration of headache was significantly decreased from a mean of 5.5 +/- 3.9 hours to 1.1 +/- 2.5 hours with treatment (P = 0.001). The observed side effects were dizziness, drowsiness, and increase in appetite; none required drug withdrawal. In two cases, headache attacks recurred after the cessation of valproate, and therapy was restarted. Headache control lasted for six months following cessation of the drug in the remainder of the subjects. CONCLUSION: Sodium valproate appears to be effective and safe in selected patients with childhood migraine.

Adolescent↗