Post-traumatic stress symptoms and related factors in terms of hİGH-school adolescents in southeastern anatolia

This study is carried out as a descriptive research with the aim of identifying post-traumatic stress symptoms and related factors in terms of adolescent high-school students in Southeastern Anatolia. Population of the research consists of 9522 students from 10 high-schools located in Cizre district. Personal Data Form, Diagnostic Scale for Post-Traumatic Stress, Beck Depression Inventory and Coping with Stress Scale are used with the aim of collecting data within the scope of this study. In evaluation of data, descriptive statistical analysis, Chi square test, and independent samples t-test are used. When socio-demographic characteristics of high-school students, whose opinions were received, are considered; it was confirmed that 57,7% (n=202) were at the age of 15 and lower, and their age average was 15,5 ± 1,25, and 64,2% (n=251) were female. When the distribution of traumatic life events that were experienced or witnessed by the high-school students who participated in this research is considered in accordance with Post-Traumatic Stress Scanning Scale, 83,9% (n=328) of the traumatic life events that were experienced or witnessed by adolescents are observed as a military conflict or being in war zone. When the feelings of high-school students at the time of traumatic events are investigated, 75,4% (n=295) of them reported that they had felt a great fear. According to Diagnostic Scale for Post-Traumatic Stress applied on the high-school students who participated in this research, it is found that 87,2% (n=341) of the students had PTSS. Class degree of high school students who participated in our study (χ2=14,653, p=0,002), their age level (χ2=4,084, p=0,043), their gender (χ2=9,190, p=0,002), department that they are studying (χ2=9,572, p=0,008), their socioeconomic state (χ2=10,528, p=0,005), availability of physical violence among siblings (χ2=5,468, p=0,019), damage of houses or workplaces due to traumatic events (χ2=7,265, p=0,006) show that that there is a statistically significant difference between PTSS symptoms. The experiment of physical violence by the family members and relatives of the high school students who participated in our study (χ2=8,229, p =0,004), getting wounded (χ2=8,265, p=0,004), being arrested (χ2 =6,355, p=0,012), being put in a jail (χ2 =4,925, p=0,026), being killed (χ2 =7,265, p=0,006) show that there is a statistically significant difference between PTSS symptoms. Future plans of the high school students who participated in our study (χ2 =6,274, p=0,043), their expectations about their own future (χ2 =9,468, p=0,009), their expectations about this country (χ2 =23,554, p=0,000) show that there is a statistically significant difference between PTSS symptoms. It is determined that there is a statistically significant difference between PTSD symptoms in the high school students who participated in our study of and depression risk (χ2=13,410; p=0,000). In consequence of the analysis that we carried out in order to detect the fact that whether there is a significant difference between PTSS symptoms and their ways of coping with stress (self-confident approach, desperate approach, submitter approach, optimistic approach, receiving social support), a significant relation is observed only in the context of desperate approach (t=-2,648, p=0,008). There isn't any significant difference between PTSS symptoms and education levels of the high school students' parents, unwholesome substance-use, personal experiences in terms of the events (being exposed to physical violence, getting wounded, getting arrested, being put in jail), type of family, number of siblings, togetherness state of the parents, and domestic violence (physical violence among siblings is excluded) (p> 0.05). Keywords: Adolescence, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Coping with Stress