• ÖZ

Given the widespread usage of social media and the saturation of social network sites (SNSs), many students and instructors have integrated technology into both social and educational life to enhance their learning experiences. Yet, non-educational use of social media brings drawbacks and also causes undesirable situations. Especially for young people, multi-tasking, like using SNS during their class sessions, creates cognitive disabilities as well as low academic performance. In this study, we have examined the relationships between SNS addiction patterns (SNS intensity and network size) and academic achievement (grade point average, or GPA) of 711 college students in Turkey. We have also sought to assess whether there is a correlation between gender and SNS addiction patterns. A questionnaire has been used for data collection. Our findings clearly show that the majority of our participants have used a smartphone for more than 5 years, with Instagram the app whose reputation supersedes that of other SNSs. Surprisingly, we found no significant relationship between academic success and SNS addiction patterns, though the study confirms a gender-discrepancy with regard to SNS addiction patterns. Females spend more time on SNS than males, whereas males have more online friends than do females. The reason for this disparity may derive from their different uses of SNS. Thus, further studies may concentrate on different aspects of this issue with more factual and objective data to reveal the real impact of SNS on our lives. Conclusions, suggestions, and research limitations have also been discussed.

• ÖZ

Problematic Internet use not only has negative effects on adolescents’ development and social lives but also may yield negative mental health outcomes. Taking into account that it may damage adolescents’ school and family lives, it is clear that identifying and preventing factors associated with problematic Internet use is very important on both the individual and societal levels. The purpose of the present study was to explore the associations between problematic Internet use, daily hassles, and social isolation among high school students. The study group comprised high school students from various socioeconomic levels in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. Data were collected from 371 high school students: 189 female students (51%) and 180 male students (49%). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to determine variables predicting high school students’ levels of problematic Internet use. The results showed that the variables of being ignored, exclusion, and daily hassles significantly predicted high school students’ problematic Internet use. Suggestions were made in light of the current literature.

• ÖZ

Lack of policy-oriented research in Turkey could be attributed to the perceptions of researchers on existence of an alcohol use problem in the population, methodological difficulties of conducting alcohol research, and the perceived sensitivity of the topic in the population. This descriptive quantitative study was carried out before the conduct of the International Alcohol Control Study (IAC) in Turkey, with an aim to assess the knowledge, attitude, and behaviors on alcohol research of 142 adults aged 18 years and above, who have the experience of consuming alcohol, to determine their preference for interviewer characteristics, interview place, and research institution. More than half of the participants (54.9%) stated that alcohol consumption studies were necessary, and a majority (74.7%) was willing to participate in such a study. The participants believed that the alcohol consumers from their own social environments would express their drinking status openly (72.5%) and report their consumption accurately (70.4%). Use of political or religious symbols by the interviewers did not seem to influence responses for more than half of the study subjects, although a non-negligible group have not agreed. The participants favored World Health Organization as the research institution (53.2%) and medical students (62.9%) as the interviewers.

• ÖZ

This study aimed to develop a measurement tool suitable for determining the gambling risk levels in Turkey. A total of 128 outpatients at two facilities with complaints of gambling were included in the study. The South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) was used in the study. The Gambling Risk Screening Scale (GRSS), which evaluated the level of gambling risk, was developed. The GRSS has two factors-gambling behavior and economic and social problems-and they account for 59% of the total variance. The factor loadings for the first factor ranged from 0.55 to 0.77, whereas for the second factor, the factor loading ranged from 0.77 to 0.95. The Cronbach’s alpha of the entire scale was 0.84 and that of its subscales were 0.82 and 0.89. The cutoff point of the scale was 9.5, its sensitivity was 0.98, and its specificity was 0.87. The GRSS scores correlated statistically with the SOGS scores. These findings indicated that GRSS could be considered a valid and reliable scale for determining the gambling risk levels.

• ÖZ

This study aimed to investigate the anger levels, coping strategies, and affective temperaments of men with opioid dependence compared with a control group. The study included 50 male outpatients with opioid dependence who had completed the detoxification process. A total of 50 men who matched the study group in terms of age, sex, and education level were included as the control group. The state trait anger expression scale; coping inventory; and temperament evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego auto questionnaire scales were completed by all the participants. The trait anger, anger-in, and anger-out scores of the case group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Cyclothymic and hyperthymic temperament scores were significantly higher in the case group. In the case group, mental disengagement, focus on and venting of emotions, and behavioral and alcohol-drug disengagement scores were significantly higher. The patients in the case group were also less likely to use humor, emotional and social support, and planning. In conclusion, a higher level of anger in opioid-dependent men was observed with the use of dysfunctional methods to cope with stress and hyperthymic and cyclothymic temperament properties compared with the control group. Treatment planning for anger-control, affective tem-peraments, and coping strategies are likely to help in a positive prognosis.