The aim of this study among primary school students was to examine factors associated with digital addiction and to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based intervention program in reducing digital addiction and improving digital literacy. The research is a pre- and post-intervention study conducted with 4th-grade primary school students in a province in Central Türkiye, without a control group. The questionnaire form used in the study consists of questions about students’ socioeconomic characteristics, related factors, and questions from the Digital Addiction Scale for Teenagers (DAST) and the Digital Literacy Scale (DLS) for elementary school students. The median (min.-max.) age of the students in the study group was 10.0 (9.0–12.0) years, with a mean ± standard deviation of 10.2 ± 0.4. Male students had higher digital addiction scores than female students. Scores were higher among students whose mothers were illiterate or only primary school graduates compared to those whose mothers had university degrees; lower among those whose fathers had university degrees compared to those with high school degrees; and lower among those whose mothers or fathers were civil servants compared to those who were housewives, workers, or self-employed. Digital addiction scores were higher among children from families where income was lower than expenses. The most frequently used digital device was the smartphone, followed by television and tablets. The most frequently used applications were YouTube, mobile games, and streaming platforms. Among the students, 40.5% reported symptoms of long-term digital device use; the most common were eye, sleep, and back/shoulder pain. Students’ median (min.-max.) DAST scores decreased from 17.0 (10.0–50.0) before the training to 16.0 (10.0–42.0) after the training (p<0.001), with a small effect size (r=0.232). The median (min.-max.) DLS score before training was 17.0 (10.0-50.0), and after training it was 16.0 (10.0-42.0), showing a decrease with a small effect size (0.242). These results may indicate that school-based interventions can combat digital addiction and increase digital literacy. Intervention programs developed to combat digital addiction should take into account the community, culture, and sociodemographic characteristics of the working group. More detailed studies are needed to examine this issue more comprehensively.
Risky alcohol use is highly prevalent among university students and can lead to severe mental health complications. This study examined whether life satisfaction moderates the association between the personality trait of conscientiousness and anxiety among emerging adults who engage in risky alcohol use. The sample comprised 70 university students aged 18–29 who scored 3 or above on the Addiction Profile Index Risk Scanning Scale-Alcohol. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Addiction Profile Index Risk Scanning Scale-Alcohol, the Ten-Item Personality Inventory, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale–Short Form, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Moderation analysis (Model 1) demonstrated that conscientiousness was negatively associated with anxiety and that life satisfaction significantly moderated this relationship. Higher conscientiousness predicted lower anxiety at low and moderate levels of life satisfaction, whereas this association was attenuated and became non-significant at high levels of life satisfaction. These findings suggest that life satisfaction operates as a protective psychological resource and that the mental health effects of conscientiousness should be interpreted within a broader well-being framework, particularly in preventive efforts targeting risky alcohol use among university students.
Within the framework of Self-Regulation Theory (SRT), smartphone addiction (SPA) is considered a self-regulation failure, as it disrupts focus and task completion, leading to increased procrastination. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship remain insufficiently explored. Given the distinct impacts of stress and anxiety on psychological and physiological processes, this study examines their mediating roles in the SPA-procrastination relationship. A total of 688 Turkish participants completed the Smartphone Addiction Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and General Procrastination Scale. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between SPA and stress, anxiety, and procrastination. Mediation analyses were performed with age and gender as covariates. The results indicate that stress significantly mediates the relationship between SPA and procrastination, whereas anxiety does not. Moreover, the relatively small indirect effect of stress suggests that the SPA-procrastination relationship may be explained not by a single mechanism but by contributions from multiple psychological processes. The study outlines a framework for understanding SPA through SRT, suggesting that interventions focused on stress management, attentional control, and time management may help reduce procrastination. Furthermore, the findings suggest that future research could benefit from employing multilevel models that account for the interactions among different psychological processes.
Van, Türkiye’s eastern border province, is a major transit corridor for irregular migrants and lies on the Balkan route for drug trafficking. This study describes the clinical and radiological features of body packer cases presenting to an emergency department in this critical border region. This retrospective case series included all 13 confirmed body packer patients who presented to the University of Health Sciences, Van Training and Research Hospital Emergency Department between January 2021 and November 2025. Data on demographics, clinical presentation, imaging findings, and management were extracted from medical records. Eleven patients (84.6%) were refugees or irregular migrants; all 13 were brought by law enforcement, with no voluntary self-presentations. The median age was 33 years, and 12 were male. The concealed substances were predominantly methamphetamines (69.2%), followed by opioids (15.4%) and cocaine (15.4%). Seven patients (53.8%) were asymptomatic. CT imaging, used in all cases, showed a 100% detection rate. A key finding was the observation of two patients with rectal packet clustering and marked bladder distension, both reporting deliberate avoidance of defecation and urination—a behavioral cue for high-risk screening. The single female patient had multiluminal concealment (rectal and vaginal). No toxicity or mortality occurred; median hospital stay was 3 days. Body packing among migrants in Van is an under-recognized phenomenon at the intersection of migration, trafficking, and substance use vulnerability. The small number of detected cases, all law-enforcement-driven, suggests a significant underestimation of the true burden. The predominance of methamphetamines suggests a significant stimulant trafficking trend. Border-region emergency departments must implement risk-based screening strategies, integrate addiction services, and adopt trauma-informed care frameworks to address the complex needs of this vulnerable population.
