Background and Objectives: On 6 February 2023, two catastrophic earthquakes struck southeastern Türkiye, affecting over 13 million individuals and causing widespread destruction. While the physical damage was immediate, the psychological consequences—particularly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression—have proven long-lasting. This study aimed to evaluate the severity and course of PTSD symptoms among survivors and to examine the effectiveness of a telepsychiatry-based mental health intervention in a post-disaster setting. Materials and Methods: This naturalistic, observational study included 153 adult participants from the affected regions who underwent at least two telepsychiatry sessions between the first and sixth month post-disaster. Initial screening was conducted using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and individuals scoring ≥ 13 were further assessed with the PTSD Checklist—Civilian Version (PCL-C) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Follow-up evaluations and pharmacological or psychoeducational interventions were offered as clinically indicated. Results: At the one-month follow-up, 94.4% of participants met the threshold for PTSD symptoms (PCL-C > 22) and 77.6% had severe depressive symptoms (BDI > 30). By the sixth month, PTSD symptoms had significantly decreased (mean PCL-C score reduced from 42.47 ± 12.22 to 33.02 ± 12.23, p < 0.001). Greater symptom reduction was associated with higher educational attainment and perceived social support, while prior trauma predicted poorer outcomes. Depression severity emerged as the strongest predictor of chronic PTSD. Conclusions: This study highlights the psychological burden following the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye and demonstrates the feasibility and potential effectiveness of telepsychiatry in disaster mental health care. Integrating digital mental health services into disaster response systems may help reach vulnerable populations and improve long-term psychological recovery.

Background: Secondary traumatic stress (STS) refers to the PTSD-like symptoms observed among professionals working with traumatized clients.Objective: This study investigates the predictors of secondary traumatic stress (STS) among psychosocial support workers who provided mental health services in the aftermath of the February 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye.Methods: Data from 117 professionals (76.9% female, median age 27) were analysed using the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5; mean score = 27.73 ± 15.26), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC; mean score = 63.24 ± 12.53), and a structured sociodemographic form on disaster-related experiences.Results: Key predictors of elevated PCL-5 scores included younger age (β = -0.671, p = .037), higher exposure to trauma survivors (β = 0.016, p < .001), and lower psychological resilience (β = -0.219, p = .027). Additionally, both awareness of a need for psychosocial support (β = 6.849, p = .009) and attending funerals (β = 7.733, p = .029) were identified as predictors of STS symptoms.Conclusion: These findings underscore the individual and professional characteristics that increased STS risk among mental health workers, providing crucial insights for targeted prevention strategies aimed at mitigating STS in this specialized field.

Background/Objectives: Gender-affirming care is a complex, multidisciplinary process that has gained increasing recognition worldwide. This practice report presents the unique clinical model developed at the Kocaeli University Hospital Gender Dysphoria Clinic, one of the pioneering centers in Türkiye. Methods: An experience-based descriptive approach was adopted to capture two decades of clinical experience, institutional processes, and socio-political challenges not fully reflected in systematic reviews. The article reflects on the authors’ direct practice in a university-based transgender health clinic in Türkiye, structured around the multidisciplinary team model, patient pathways, institutional processes, and the sociopolitical context of care. Results: The Kocaeli University model integrates psychiatry, endocrinology, surgery, nursing, social work, and legal consultation. Since 2004, the clinic has evaluated and treated hundreds of transgender individuals and produced numerous theses and peer-reviewed publications. Key strengths include a structured board system, the training of psychiatry residents, and close interdepartmental collaboration. Conclusions: This model illustrates how gender-affirming care can be effectively implemented in a challenging sociopolitical context. Sharing this experience may inform global practices and support the dissemination of multidisciplinary approaches to transgender health.

Background/Objectives: Transgender individuals face significant healthcare disparities, often exacerbated by provider prejudice and knowledge gaps. Nurses, as frontline providers, play a critical role in promoting inclusive care. This study aimed to evaluate the levels and predictors of transphobia and attitudes toward transgender individuals among nurses in Türkiye. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 100 registered nurses. Participants completed the Transphobia Scale, the Attitudes Toward Transgender Individuals Scale, and the Hudson & Ricketts Homophobia Scale. Additional measures included perceived knowledge, prior education on transgender health, familial attitudes, and comfort levels when working with transgender patients. Multiple linear regression analyses identified predictors of transphobia and attitudes. Results: The mean Transphobia Scale score was 41.53 (SD = 12.67), and the mean Attitudes Toward Transgender Individuals Scale score was 57.45 (SD = 16.42). Greater homophobia, negative parental attitudes, and higher perceived knowledge significantly predicted higher transphobia scores (Adjusted R²= 0.327). Prior education on transgender health was also associated with lower transphobia. Lower comfort with transgender patients was marginally associated with higher transphobia. More positive attitudes toward transgender individuals were predicted by lower transphobia, lower homophobia, and prior education (Adjusted R² = 0.526). Conclusions: Findings underscore the urgent need for structured transgender health education and culturally sensitive interventions among nurses. Addressing sociocultural factors and training gaps could enhance equitable healthcare delivery for transgender populations, particularly in culturally conservative settings like Türkiye.

Background: Neurocognitive functioning in transgender adults remains understudied and is predominantly derived from Western samples, often treated as universally applicable. Evidence from non-Western contexts is limited, despite the potential influence of structural stigma and minority stress on cognition and research participation. Türkiye represents a sociopolitical setting where transgender individuals face significant barriers to healthcare and research. To date, no study has systematically examined the neuropsychological profile of transgender adults in Türkiye using a four-group design. Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted at a multidisciplinary university-based gender identity clinic. Eighty-one adults were included: transgender women (n = 14), transgender men (n = 39), cisgender women (n = 13), and cisgender men (n = 15), with cisgender groups matched for age and education. Participants completed a standardized neuropsychological battery assessing visuospatial abilities, executive functions/processing speed, working memory, and verbal fluency. Group differences were analyzed using nonparametric methods, with additional aggregated transgender–cisgender comparisons. Results: Group differences were observed in visuospatial functioning (Judgment of Line Orientation, Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure; all p ≤ 0.05) and executive control (Trail Making Test Part B, p = 0.048; B–A difference, p = 0.014). Group-level differences were domain-specific: both transgender groups scored below both cisgender groups on the visuospatial measures, whereas the ordering on executive-control measures differed, and distributions overlapped substantially throughout. Processing speed, working memory, and verbal fluency did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). No clear association between hormone therapy status and performance was detected in this small sample. Conclusions: The observed distributions were domain-specific and substantially overlapping, and should not be interpreted as indicating correspondence between cognitive performance and either gender identity or sex assigned at birth. Differences were domain-specific, with substantial overlap across groups. Findings support a context-sensitive, non-pathologizing interpretation emphasizing sociocultural factors rather than inherent deficits. Longitudinal and cross-cultural studies incorporating psychosocial variables are needed.

Feminizing genital gender-affirming surgery is an important component of gender-affirming health care for many transgender women. This is clinically important because the goals of gender-affirming ...