Background: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and analyze the relationship between PTSD and breastfeeding attitudes and behaviors among breastfeeding mothers and women with children aged 0–24 months, all of whom had experienced the earthquake. Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, a face-to-face questionnaire was administered to 173 earthquake survivors in Adıyaman, Turkey, during June and July 2023. The PTSD Checklist-Civilian scale was used to assess the presence of PTSD, while the Breastfeeding Attitudes of the Evaluation Scale (BAES) was employed to evaluate breastfeeding behaviors in mothers. Results: Significantly higher PTSD scores (47.6 ± 17.4) were found among women staying in tents, while lower scores (37.0 ± 16.4) were observed in those who continued breastfeeding. 78.6% of women reported decreased breast milk because of the earthquake. Mothers with reduced milk supply had higher PTSD scores (46.1 ± 17.3). Breastfeeding training was associated with higher BAES scores (106.8 ± 56.8) and lower PTSD scores (32.5 ± 11.0). A significant negative correlation was observed between the PTSD score and BAES (r = -0.742; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The study demonstrated that breastfeeding may protect mothers against PTSD in the aftermath of earthquakes, emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding education. The higher frequency and severity of PTSD observed among earthquake survivor mothers residing in tents underscores the importance of promptly transitioning to permanent housing after the earthquake.

This study aimed to examine potential disparities in hematologic inflammation parameters between children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their healthy counterparts and to determine whether atomoxetine treatment induced any alterations in inflammation indicators. This case–control study involved 43 children aged 6–13 years, 22 diagnosed with ADHD for the first time, and 21 healthy children. In all children, complete blood count and albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (free T4), folate, vitamin B12, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), creatinine and urea values were performed. Children with ADHD were started on atomoxetine treatment, and one month later, the blood test was repeated for those who commenced treatment. Neutrophil (p = 0.005), platelet (PLT) (p = 0.002), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (p = 0.001), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) (p < 0.001), systemic immune /inflammation index (SII) (p < 0.001) and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) (p = 0.025) parameters were found to be significantly higher than the control group, while the lymphocyte value (p = 0.001) was found to be significantly lower. In those in the ADHD group, lymphocyte (p = 0.041) and albumin (p = 0.027) values increased significantly after treatment. The results of this study show the increase in inflammation in drug-naive ADHD patients and the partial improvement after treatment. However, there is a need to evaluate inflammation in larger samples after longer-term treatments and follow-ups.

Background In this study, it was aimed to examine digital addiction, loneliness and social dissatisfaction among adolescents studying in Adıyaman, Turkey, and to determine the relationship with each other. Methodology Digital Game Addiction Scale for Children (DGASFC) and Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire (LSDQ) were administered to 634 middle and high school students. A questionnaire form was used as a data collection tool. Results DGASFC scores and LSDQ scores were found to be higher in males, in high school students, in those whose parents' education level was high school or above, in those whose parents lived separately, in those with good economic status, in those who were younger, and in those who were not restricted by their families. A significant positive correlation was found between DGASFC and LSDQ scores. Conclusions Digital addiction should be followed closely in terms of accompanying disorders or pathologies that predispose to it. In our study, it was found that digital game addiction, loneliness and social dissatisfaction decreased with age. However, this applies separately to middle school and high school groups. Because, despite their older age, high school adolescents have been found to be more digitally dependent, lonely and socially dissatisfied than secondary school students. Contrary to the studies in the literature, the risk of digital addiction, loneliness and social dissatisfaction was found to be low in those with low economic status.

On February 6, 2023, a series of earthquakes resulted in approximately 60,000 deaths and 120,000 injuries in Turkey and Syria. These earthquakes caused serious psychological problems in addition to their social and economic effects. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most frequently reported psychiatric disorder among the survivors of earthquakes. The aim of this study is to investigate the hemispheric asymmetries and volumes of hippocampus and amygdala of survivors under treatment with a diagnosis of earthquake-exposed PTSD (PTSD group) with earthquake-exposed subjects without a diagnosis of PTSD (non-PTSD group) one year after the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. PTSD subjects (n = 39, 17 females and 22 males) who had been using antidepressants for 6–12 months and matched (age, gender, education, smoking, menstrual cycle phase) non-PTSD subjects (n = 42, 21 females and 21 males) from hospital staff were retrospectively included in the study based on filtering criteria. Sociodemographic and clinical data were obtained through the patient registration system. The scores of the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Beck Depression Inventory, and Beck Anxiety Inventory administered to PTSD subjects and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) administered to all subjects at admission were recorded. Imaging of hippocampus and amygdala was performed with a 1.5-tesla MRI scanner and loaded into software that automatically analysed the segments. SPSS version 26.0 was used for the statistical analysis (descriptive, regression, correlation, receiver operating characteristic, multiple testing correction). A value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. While the groups were similar regarding history of major depressive disorder (p = 0.850) and anxiety disorder (p = 0.590), PTSD history in 1st degree relative (p = 0.005) and loss or injury of 1st degree relative in earthquake (p = 0.002) was higher in the PTSD group. The severity of psychiatric symptoms assessed with SCL-90-R was higher in the PTSD group than in the non-PTSD group (p < 0.001). Hippocampus and amygdala asymmetry was in favor of the left side in the PTSD group, while amygdala asymmetry was in favor of the right side in the non-PTSD group. After controlling for the effect of age in the PTSD group, a significant correlation was detected between total hippocampus volume and PCL-5 (r=-0.740, p < 0.001), SCL-90-R (r=-0.670, p < 0.001). According to the hierarchical binary logistic regression analysis, the sensitivity of age, gender, smoking status (block one) plus total hippocampus volume, amygdala asymmetry, loss or physical injury of 1st degree relative (block two) related to the determining the participants who was involved in PTSD and non-PTSD groups was 66.7%, and the specificity was 81.0% (Nagelkerke R2 0.363; Constant p = 0.040). This study provides various results that volume and asymmetry parameters of hippocampus and amygdala may be associated with the presence of PTSD. Our study supports the information that stress exposure results in changes in hippocampus structure in PTSD. Longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate possible mechanisms.

Objective: To determine the frequency of smartphone addiction and poor sleep in high school adolescents and to evaluate the relationship between phone addiction and sleep, together with demographic characteristics. Methods: A face-to-face survey was applied to 730 high school students in the Kahta district of Adıyaman, Turkey, between November 2021 and January 2022. The Smartphone Addiction Inventory-Short Form (SPAI-SF) was used to assess smartphone addiction, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess sleep quality. Results: The rate of smartphone addiction in adolescents was 41%, and poor sleep quality was 61%. When smartphone addiction increases, sleep quality decreases, and when sleep quality decreases smartphone addiction increases. Smartphone addiction and poor sleep quality were higher in girls compared to boys. As the parents’ education level and family income increase, the level of addiction increases, but sleep quality remain the same. We found that as age increases, the risk of smartphone addiction and the risk of deterioration in sleep quality increase. Conclusion: Smartphone addiction and poor sleep quality trigger each other in a vicious circle. The COVID-19 pandemic may have made smartphone addiction the most common addiction in the world. This addiction can increase the risk of substance addiction by impairing the quality of sleep in adolescents and lead to many physical, social, and mental problems. A multidisciplinary approach is vital for solving the problem.