The aim of this study is to investigate, through metaphors, the perceptions of fathers who meet their babies by holding their hands within the first 48 hours after birth. The sample for this qualitative study, designed using a phenomenological approach, consists of 39 fathers who saw their babies within the first 48 hours after birth and held them in their arms. In the study, the "Personal Information Form" and "Metaphorical Perception Form," developed by the researchers following a literature review, were used as data-collection tools, and data were collected through face-to-face interviews. Participants were asked to complete the statement "Holding my baby's hand is like meeting them because..." to determine their metaphorical perceptions. Content analysis of the metaphorical data was conducted using MAXQDA 2022, while frequency and percentage analyses of the demographic data were conducted using SPSS 22.0. The average age of fathers participating in the study was 31.71±3.7. It was found that 43.6% were happy to have a baby, and 28.2% felt excited when they first held their baby's hands. The study determined that 39 fathers produced 35 different metaphors, grouped into five categories: "Power, Source of Life, Happiness/Peace, Anxiety, and Eternity." The findings show that most fathers have positive perceptions after holding their babies' hands and meeting them for the first time, but some also experience negative feelings. The study suggests that early interaction between fathers and newborn babies can strengthen the father-baby bond.
Emotion recognition, especially interpreting mental states through the eyes, is key to social cognition and may be impaired in depression. This study examined the relationship between mind-reading ability and depression levels in adults, evaluating how this relationship varies by age, gender, and education level. The descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out online between January and March 2024 using a snowball sampling method. This involved 696 individuals aged 18 and older. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Depression levels were significantly higher in women than in men (p < 0.05). Participants aged 19–29 had higher RMET and BDI scores than those in older age groups. No significant association was found between educational attainment and depression (p > 0.05), but mind-reading ability was better in individuals with 12 or more years of education (p < 0.05). The statistically significant negative correlation was found between depression levels and RMET scores (r = –0.14, p < 0.001). The findings suggest that increased depression is associated with reduced mind-reading ability from the eyes. In this context, emotion recognition may be related to depression, and awareness of these changes may contribute to better mental health outcomes.
Sexual offenses against children arise from a multifaceted interplay of psychological, social, and environmental factors. This study investigated the causal roles of antisocial traits, drug abuse, and pornography consumption in fostering hostile masculinity (HM) among child sex offenders. Data were collected from 88 life-convicted offenders incarcerated across multiple prisons for cases resolved between 2019 and 2022. A quota sampling method ensured proportional geographical representation. Ethical clearance was obtained, and data collection tools (structured schedules and psychometric tests) were validated through a pilot study. Findings revealed that antisocial behaviour significantly predicted HM by reinforcing adversarial gender attitudes and dominance-oriented beliefs. Drug abuse further exacerbated HM, reducing empathy and normalizing hegemonic masculine norms, while pornography consumption amplified adversarial gender scripts and legitimized coercive behaviours. Demographic analysis showed that most offenders were young adults with low educational attainment, suggesting compounded vulnerabilities that increase susceptibility to hostile masculine orientations. The study underscores the interconnected influence of personality traits, substance abuse, media exposure, and sociocultural conditions in sustaining HM and sexual aggression. Policy implications emphasize integrated prevention and intervention strategies targeting antisocial conduct, substance misuse, and pornography consumption, with a focus on young, less-educated populations. These findings offer practical insights into reducing gender-based violence.
This study analyzes the public relations policies countries employ to combat substance addiction. The research population consists of the countries listed in the World Drug Report. The sample includes Türkiye, the United States, Bangladesh, Australia, Spain, and South Africa, selected to represent diverse socioeconomic groups across continents. The scope of the study is limited to the national strategies and status reports on drug control from the last three periods for the selected countries. The study was conducted within this framework, using a concurrent mixed-methods design. The countries' status reports on substance addiction were used as quantitative data and analyzed using document analysis in SPSS 26. Content analysis was applied to the qualitative data, and the strategies countries employed to combat substance addiction were analyzed using MaxQDA. The findings from both studies were compared, and a model for combating substance addiction was developed. The proposed model integrates key elements such as social interaction and dialogue, solidarity, and the establishment of social peace into policy, education, healthcare services, legal regulations, and social support mechanisms. This diversity of approaches is expected to provide a multidimensional strategy for substance use prevention.
This study is grounded in the assumption that adolescents’ use of their strengths supports their mental health. Within this framework, the relationship between the use of strengths and psychological resilience is examined, with participation in sports considered as a potential moderating variable. The primary aim of the study is to investigate the moderating role of sports participation in the relationship between adolescents’ use of strengths and psychological resilience. The study group consisted of 389 adolescents from six provinces located in the Black Sea region of Turkey. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Strengths Use Scale for Adolescents, and the Psychological Resilience Scale for Children and Adolescents. Following these analyses, the arithmetic means and standard deviations of the participants' responses were determined. Pearson correlation analysis was used to report the correlation coefficients between the scales. Finally, Model 1 of the PROCESS Macro 4.2 was used in SPSS 27 to test the moderating role of sports participation. The findings revealed that adolescents reported moderate levels of psychological resilience and of strengths use. A significant moderate positive correlation was found between strengths use and psychological resilience (r = 0.54; p <.01). In line with this finding, strengths use was found to significantly predict resilience (R² = 0.31; p <.01). Moreover, sports participation was found to have a moderating effect on the relationship between strengths use and resilience. In other words, the relationship between strength use and psychological resilience was stronger among adolescents who participated in sports compared to those who did not.
