Purpose: The primary aim of this study is to analyze the structure, operation, and services of women’s shelters in Turkey by comparing them with models implemented in various countries. Additionally, the research evaluates the role of these institutions in promoting gender equality and combating violence against women, as well as the organizational structure and needs of shelter personnel. Materials and Methods: This study is based on a qualitative research design, incorporating literature review, analysis of national legislation, and comparative evaluation of international shelter models. The shelter systems in Turkey and other selected countries are examined through a comparative framework highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. Findings: Although women’s shelters in Turkey are supported by a legal framework, they face several structural challenges, including insufficient capacity, limited rural accessibility, and a shortage of qualified staff. Compared to European countries (Scandinavian countries, Germany, the United Kingdom), North America (the United States and Canada), and selected Asian and African countries, Turkey’s model diversity remains limited. Nevertheless, the expansion of cooperation between governmental bodies and NGOs, along with the increasing prevalence of Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centers (ŞÖNİM), are considered positive developments. Conclusion: Women’s shelters play a vital role in protecting survivors of violence and advancing gender equality. To enhance the effectiveness of shelters in Turkey, it is recommended to diversify shelter models, strengthen personnel capacity, develop child-specific support programs, and expand inclusive services particularly for vulnerable groups.

The biological basis of suicidal behavior extends beyond psychiatric diagnosis, and alterations in stress-response regulation, monoaminergic signaling, and GABAergic function may contribute to suicide risk. We enrolled 69 adults presenting to the emergency department after a suicide attempt episode and 72 controls. Expression of eight candidate genes (SLC6A3, SLC6A4, NR3C1, NR3C2, DRD2, MAOA, GABRA2, and GABBR2) was measured by qRT-PCR in paired peripheral blood and buccal swab samples, with GAPDH as the reference gene. Multiple testing was addressed with the Benjamini—Hochberg false discovery rate. NR3C2, which encodes the mineralocorticoid receptor, was the only gene downregulated in both sample types after FDR correction (blood: q = 0.0007; swab: q = 0.0004). Blood additionally showed changes in SLC6A4 (↓), DRD2 (↑), and GABBR2 (↑). In buccal swabs, every gene that reached significance—SLC6A3, NR3C1, GABRA2, and GABBR2—was downregulated. No gene achieved AUC ≥ 0.90 in ROC analysis. Gene-by-biochemistry correlations did not survive FDR correction, suggesting transcriptional changes independent of acute metabolic status. Overall, peripheral expression was matrix-dependent, and NR3C2 downregulation stood out as the one signal that replicated across both. Blood and buccal swabs captured complementary biological information, together pointing to impaired HPA-axis buffering. Because group-level confounders could not be adjusted for, these findings should be read as hypothesis-generating and warrant confounder-controlled, longitudinal validation.