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This descriptive study aimed to determine the perspectives of nursing students regarding sexual development of children with intellectual disability. This study was conducted with 455 nursing students at the Faculty of Health Sciences in the Western Black Sea Region of Turkey over the period September–November 2020. Data were collected from the students by e-mail. The instruments used to collect the data were a "Personal Charateristics Form" and the "Perspectives on Sexual Development of Children with Intellectual Disability Questionnaire," which were prepared by the researchers. In this study, 55.4% of the students had previously received training on sexual development and health, and the source of education for 41.5% consisted of the courses taken in their undergraduate program. Of the students, 23.1% did not wish to communicate with children with intellectual disability or their parents about sexual development, 76.9% felt inadequate in their communication with children and parents about sexual development, 46.2% felt they could identify deviations in sexual development in children with intellectual disability, and 81.5% believed that children with intellectual disability were more vulnerable to sexual abuse. The viewpoints of 4th-year students about sexual development of children with intellectual disability were more positive. Sexual development education should be included in the nursing undergraduate curriculum from the first year of the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study was carried out in order to examine the opinions of mothers on sexual education and development in children with intellectual disability. Participants were drawn from the pool of the mothers of 10–15 year-old children studying in a private education and rehabilitation center in Zonguldak/Turkey between February and June 2019; the sample included 14 mothers who consented to participate in the study. A questionnaire and a semi-structured interview form prepared by the researchers according to literature were used in the study. During the interviews, the mothers were asked questions such as, "How does your child develop sexually in adolescence?" The answers were noted by the both researchers. Content analysis of the data retrieved was performed by the researchers, who identified and interpreted the main themes. The knowledge levels of the mothers concerning the sexual development of their children with intellectual disability were found to be low, and the mothers experienced problems in the management of their children's behaviors and required education on this issue. Providing education about sexual development to both children with intellectual disability as well as their mothers may facilitate more effective management of sexual health concerns in this group of adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to develop an assessment instrument for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Turkey based on the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC). Validity and reliability studies of Adapted ABC (AABC) were conducted on 969 children with ASD and 164 children with intellectual disability from 21 cities in Turkey. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a two-factor structure. The correlation of the AABC with the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-2-Turkish Version supported criterion-referenced validity. Reliability analyses demonstrated that test–retest, internal consistency, and item discrimination reliability levels met the required conditions. Finally, the score equivalents of the percentiles required to use the instrument in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM V), were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ratio of the population with disabilities in Turkey was approximately 12 percent as of 2002, and only a very little portion of them were found to have reached the higher education level. Furthermore, contribution of people with disabilities to employment is also important for their wellness and experiencing civil liberties. Barrier-free IT is among the most important tools in this respect. There is a legislation in Turkey for the practices in this field, and the special circumstances and technological services-related studies for accessibility are considered within the framework of a universal service. The shift towards an information society should offer an environment which involves all individuals of the society. Inter-institutional cooperation and more effective use of the resources are required to overcome the barriers. Furthermore, keeping a national database is also important for correct distribution and ensuring effectiveness of the resources. The problem of accessibility and availability in information technologies and services is waiting for a solution. Information technologies play a critical and distinctive role to solve these problems and create employment for people with impairment. This is a descriptive study on the developments and assessments regarding Barrier-Free IT in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at the efficiency of a sex education program meant for mothers of young adults suffering from intellectual disabilities. Topics discussed include the study covered the Sexuality Education Program for Mothers of Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities involving 44 mothers in Turkey and results showed the program caused mothers to have a positive view towards sex education and enhanced their view for social support.

The study highlights rehabilitation implications of organizing parents' educational programs to increase knowledge and enhance self-efficacy in addressing the needs of sexual development of adolescents with intellectual disability. The procedure included: individual interviews to create the content education program, provide education, and evaluate the effectiveness of the education. Over a 4 week period, four education modules were conducted for each parent. Then 2 weeks were utilized to evaluate the efficiency before and after education. Both fathers and mothers were mostly in the 40-49 years age group. Children with intellectual disabilities were mostly between the ages of 10 and 14, male, and receiving special education for 7-12 years. General self-efficacy and information scores of both mothers and fathers were found to be significantly increased after the education ( p < 0.001; p < 0.001 respectively). Parents did not know how to deal with the problems effectively about the sexual development of their adolescent children with intellectual disabilities. Health professionals can help increase parents' awareness, knowledge and skills by providing educational and rehabilitation supports on issues such as sexual development of children with disabilities during the process of adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to evaluate the views of mothers having children with intellectual disability on sexual education for their children. Focused group methodology and in-depth interviews (face-to-face) were utilized for qualitative investigation. Interviews were performed with nine mothers having children with disability, aged 7-18 years registered at the 'Education Practice Centre and Job Training Centre' from 2012 to 2013. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire prepared by the researchers through screening. The questionnaire focused on the selection of sexual education. A voice-recording device was used during the interviews; face-to-face interviews were performed in a suitable physical environment without any voice recording. After they were given information about the study and voice recording the mothers' verbal consents were obtained. In this study, it was found that all mothers having children with intellectual disability ignored the sexual education for their children with intellectual disability. All mothers, especially having a boy with intellectual disability, said that a sexual education was needed for their children, and they thought this education could be given by an institution like a rehabilitation centre. People generally thought that children with intellectual disability would not have a sexual life, family planning was thought to be unnecessary to be involved in sexual education, they were scared that their children would be sexually abused and therefore kept them away even from their healthy siblings. These findings are thought to be a guide for nurses, rehabilitation centres and schools working with children with intellectual disability to prioritize the sexual education of these children, raise awareness in families and children on this subject and enable them to sustain their healthy sexual developments and protect them from possible danger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sought to obtain an overview of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) practice in Bakirkoy Research and Training Hospital for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases, which is the biggest hospital for psychiatry in Turkey. From 1st January 2006 to 30th June 2007, a form enquiring about evaluation of ECT was filled retrospectively. The total number of patients, admitted for psychiatry during the survey period was 265,283. A total of 1,531 patients (12.4% among inpatients and 0.58% in all psychiatric admissions) received 13,618 sessions (including multiple hospitalizations) of ECT from 12,341 psychiatric inpatients during the survey period. Ninety-eight patients had multiple hospitalizations. The male-to-female ratio was 1.26–1. Patients with bipolar affective disorder, current episode manic with or without psychotic symptoms received ECT most frequently (30.3%), followed by patients with schizophrenia (29.5%), severe depressive episode with or without psychotic symptoms (include bipolar affective disorder current episode severe depression) (15.2%), other non-organic psychotic disorders (14.4%), schizoaffective disorders (6.3%), mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance abuse with psychotic disorders (3.5%) and catatonic schizophrenia (0.7%). Patients who received ECT were in age group of 25–44 years (64.7%), followed by 45–64 years (17.7%), 18–24 years (15.4%), 65 years and older (1.4%), and younger than 18 years (0.8%). All patients received modified ECT. There were no ECT-related deaths during the survey. The rate of ECT among all psychiatric inpatients during the survey period was 12.4%. The majority of patients who received ECT were diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder-current episode manic and schizophrenia. ECT training programs for psychiatry residents and specialists should be planned, and conducted systematically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major neurological disorders may accompany rare chromosomal abnormalities. As an example of this rare condition, we present a case with microcephaly, mental retardation, developmental delay, hyperactivity, stereotypic movements, seizures and dysmorphic facial appearance in whom a mosaic ring chromosome 18 was found [45,XX,-18/46,XX,r(18)/46,XX,dicr(18)]. Although ring chromosome 18 phenotype has been known for a long time, this is the third reported patient with a dicentric ring chromosome 18 mosaicism. The presented case will contribute to the identification of the genotype-phenotype correlation in chromosome 18 anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The researchers hypothesized that emotion and behavior play a mediator role in the way students' beliefs-thoughts about people with disabilities shape their attitudes. The study explored this hypothesized mediator role, aiming to elucidate the processes through which beliefs and thoughts translate into attitudes toward the disabled. To this end, a research design characterized by cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational features was employed. The research population consisted of 152 students who had selected the elective course on approaches to disability at a nursing school in Türkiye, whereas the sample comprised 110 students volunteering to take part in the study. The data for the study were collected within the classroom setting. The attitude score was 174.30 ± 24.20. The results revealed that thoughts-beliefs about individuals with disabilities - a predictive variant in both path a1 and path a2 - significantly positively impacted both behavior and emotion. In path d, emotion was found to exert an influence on behavior, while in path b1, emotion had a significant positive effect on attitude. In path b2, the behavior was found to influence attitude significantly and positively. No evidence was found to support the proposed mediating role of emotion and behavior in the relationship between individuals' thoughts-beliefs about the disabled and their corresponding attitudes toward disabled individuals. In conclusion, the combined influence of emotion and behavior does not act as a sequential mediator in the relationship between thoughts-beliefs regarding the disabled and corresponding attitudes. Nonetheless, the existence of partial mediation was supported by the significant direct impact observed. Clinical research ethics committee numbered: Clinical Trials Ethics Committee of Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Medicine, 2018-299047-193. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disasters, which have increased in frequency and severity worldwide in recent years, negatively affect all individuals and the environment in the region where they occur and cause destruction. However, previous studies indicate that individuals with special needs are one of the groups most negatively affected by disasters. Accessibility of first aid and rescue services, an essential part of disaster management for individuals with special needs who are shown to be more vulnerable in disasters and emergencies, reduces this vulnerability. This study aims to understand and explore how the medical rescue team intervenes with individuals with special needs in disasters and emergencies. A qualitative case study is used to obtain in-depth and detailed information. The data are collected through semi-structured interviews, document review, and reflective researcher diary. The findings show that the rescue team did not recognize the general characteristics of individuals with special needs and had difficulties in recognizing, communicating, and intervening in emergencies. Therefore, the findings again drew attention to the fact that individuals with special needs are more vulnerable in disasters and emergencies from a different perspective. The current situation is thoroughly examined in the event of a disaster, and recommendations are made to enhance the rescue and medical intervention services that will be provided to people with special needs, to support disaster management policies, to lessen potentially harmful situations, and to enable people with special needs to access higher-quality health services in disasters and emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Sleep disorders are a frequent health problem in older patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). There has been no study investigating the factors associated with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in older diabetic patients. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of EDS. Methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study in older diabetic patients. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale score of ≥ 11 points indicated EDS. All patients underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment including demographic characteristics, blood pressures, comorbid diseases, cognitive and nutritional states, basic and instrumental daily living activity indexes, lower urinary tract symptoms, and laboratory values. Results: Of 227 patients, 73.1% were females, with a mean age of 78.8 ± 6.5. The prevalence of EDS was 19.8%. Patients with EDS were mostly males with dementia and used significantly more medication with more anticholinergic drug burden, falls, urge incontinence, and nocturia (p < 0.05). They had higher SARC-F and lower Barthel index, Lawton-Brodie, Tinetti, MMSE scores, and high-density lipoprotein than the patients without EDS (p < 0.05). After adjusting for age, sex, and dementia, all parameters that were significant in univariate analysis remained associated with EDS, except for falls, and MMSE scores. Conclusion: The EDS was found in one in five older diabetic patients. There was a significant relationship between EDS and drug use, anticholinergic drug burden, impaired excretory functions, sarcopenia, decreased functional capacity, falls, gait-balance disorder, and cognitive dysfunction. The recognization of EDS and the implementation of interventions may be helpful in the management of geriatric syndromes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to explore the experiences of a sample of disabled women about problems with romantic relationships/sexual life. For the study, eight disabled women between the ages of 20 and 38 years were contacted. One theme to emerge was "sexuality as taboo" related to the family. It also seemed that these taboos led to women not receiving health information during adolescence. A second theme to emerge was "forbidden before marriage", which means that women with disabilities were prevented from dating and having sexual intercourse before marriage. A third theme to emerge was "disabled people are targets of sexual abuse" related to the overprotection of disabled women by their families. The final theme was "ableism is the biggest obstacle to the romantic/sexual relationships of disabled women". Participants emphasized the importance of obtaining information regarding disability and sexual life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discussions about students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) often center on finding solutions for the difficulties they face in school. However, there is a lack of emphasis on the self-advocacy experiences of these students. Self-advocacy can empower students with SLD to pursue their interests, understand their rights, and effectively address any violations of those rights. Drawing on self-advocacy, which encompasses four domains (knowledge of self, knowledge of rights, communication, and leadership), this study explores the self-advocacy experiences of students with SLD enrolled in vocational high schools in Istanbul, Turkey. Twelve students (50.0% females; Mage = 15.91 years; SD = 1.08; range = 14–18 years) participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that: (i) the students had limited knowledge of their SLD conditions, characteristics, and rights, despite having some self-awareness; (ii) they emphasized the difficulties and negative aspects when describing themselves and their school experiences; (iii) they were able to communicate their needs and preferences to school staff, but they were not frequently understood or responded to; and (iv) they rarely demonstrated leadership behaviors when advocating for others. These findings suggest that students with SLD may lack self-advocacy skills and are not effectively advocating for themselves and others in vocational high schools in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic, the infection caused by the novel coronavirus detected in December 2019 by World Health Organization (WHO), has detrimentally impacted human life in a variety of areas. Many concepts including outbreak, pandemic, and quarantine have been an inseparable part of our lives. This kind of dialectic change naturally affects persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental disorders (DD) and their families. The present study using a mixed-method evaluation aims to reveal the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the family functioning of children specifically with ASD in Turkey. This study promises a holistic understanding of how the lockdown depending on the COVID -19 pandemic affects families and their children with ASD with positive and negative sides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sexual attitudes of midwifery students, who play an important role in improving sexual health, can affect both the students themselves and people with disabilities to whom they provide education and counselling. We descriptively examined sexual attitudes and opinions regarding the sexual expression of people with disabilities in a sample of midwifery students at a state university in Turkey. All students studying midwifery at the participating university in the spring semester of the 2017–2018 academic year were eligible to participate, and 266 agreed to do so. The data were collected using a personal information form and the Brief Sexual Attitudes Scale (BSAS). When asked about the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs of people with disabilities, 87.6% of the respondents said people with disabilities had a need for SRH, 94.7% said they had sexual rights, 94.7% said they should be informed about family planning methods, 76.7% said it was fine for women with disabilities to become pregnant, 80.1% said women with disabilities could have a normal birth, and 92.5% said people with disabilities could be parents. The mean scores and standard deviations for the BSAS subscales were as follows: permissiveness: 4.40 ± 0.68; birth control: 3.85 ± 1.03; communion: 2.55 ± 1.05; instrumentality: 3.60 ± 0.98. Based on these results, we recommend that the midwifery curriculum be revised to ensure that students gain greater sensitivity to and learn more about the SRH needs of people with disabilities and how to meet their sex-related needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge, opinions, attitudes and concerns of the parents regarding sexuality of their children with intellectual disabilities. Forty parents who have children with intellectual disabilities formed this study’s sample from Turkey. The children had mild to moderate intellectual disabilities aged between 15 and 21 years in an occupational school. The data taken from questionnaires was evaluated with SPSS 13.0 package program. 87.5% of the parents consisted of mothers and 12.5% consisted of fathers. Seventy five percent of the parents had not received any professional education on sexuality and 32.5% never talked on sexuality with their children. Fifty-five percent of the parents thought that sexual education should start during elementary school years. While 45% of the parents acknowledged their children engaging in masturbation, more than half had false opinions on masturbation. 57.5% of the parents stated that they inform their children on the physical characteristics of the adolescence period and 27.5% of them provide information to their children on subjects like the reproductive organs. In addition, a large majority of the parents (72.5%) had concerns regarding the future of their children. The parents of the adolescents with intellectual disabilities had not received any professional education on sexual development. It is very crucial that parents with children who have special needs be informed by health care professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]