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Scopus İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12416/8651

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  • Book Part
    Comparison of Damage Predictions for Concrete Dams, Finite Elements with Smeared Crack vs. Discrete Element Models
    (International Association for Earthquake Engineering, 2024) Soysal, B.F.; Arici, Y.
    The seismic assessment of gravity dam monoliths has been treated within the framework of performance based earthquake engineering (PBEE) in the last decade. The necessary inclusion of the soil-structure-reservoir interaction in combination with predicting the damage on these structures for use in PBEE is a significant challenge. Within this context, smeared crack models with general purpose finite element codes became to be used generally as the assessment tool for these systems. Perhaps the most practical limitation in this approach is the difficulty with providing discrete cracks and the corresponding impediment to the rating of the damage on these systems leading to possibly subjective conclusions. On the other hand, discrete element techniques offer a proficient simulation alternative to the FE, enabling the interpretation of results from the main aspect of the damage on these system, i.e. cracking. A novel discrete element framework, incorporating dam-reservoir interaction, has been developed to this end as part of the doctoral studies of the first author. The model incorporates individual elements connected by multiple springs, successfully modelling initial continuum with the accurate prediction of discrete cracks at the latter stages of loading. The predicted damage and damage rating of a generic monolith is compared to the FE counterparts in this work. A comprehensive comparison with different ground motions at several levels focusing on crack widths is shown. The results showed the cracking on the system is very different in severe shaking compared to similar predictions in lower earthquake excitations. The FE simulations, commonly adopted for the investigation of these systems with smeared crack modelling, yielded less cracking as well as smaller propagation in severe shaking conditions. © 2024, International Association for Earthquake Engineering. All rights reserved.
  • Article
    Optimization of Fleet Search on Network of Regions
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2026) Yakıcı, E.; Erişkin, L.; Karatas, M.; Karasakal, O.
    Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are widely used in modern military missions, primarily for surveillance, reconnaissance, search and detection, and air-to-ground strikes. The widespread use of UAVs in recent conflicts, such as the Russia–Ukraine war, once again highlighted their growing strategic importance. The complexity of military missions carried out by UAVs, coupled with the need for autonomous and coordinated fleet operations, requires analytical approaches to optimize deployment planning and improve operational efficiency. In this study, we address a UAV deployment planning problem for search and detection missions, in which a homogeneous fleet of UAVs is tasked with searching for hostile assets across a network of disjoint regions. Each region is characterized by an a priori probability of target presence, a search difficulty factor which affects the probability of detection, and known inter-region distances. For this purpose, we first develop a mixed-integer nonlinear programming formulation which determines the base locations of UAVs, allocates the limited search time across regions, and sequences the visits to maximize the total time-weighted detection probability mass to achieve the highest probability as much and as early as possible during the operation. Next, we apply a tangent line approximation technique to reformulate the model as a mixed-integer linear programming problem, which we solve using commercial off-the-shelf solvers. We then propose a hybrid heuristic approach based on the ant colony optimization method to generate high-quality solutions. Our computational experiments reveal that the proposed heuristic significantly reduces solution time while maintaining superior performance compared to the linear approximation model. © 2026 The Authors
  • Article
    Comparison of the Unmodified Rytov Method and the Modified Rytov Method in Obtaining Scintillations in Various Strongly Turbulent Media
    (Optica Publishing Group (Formerly OSA), 2026) Baykal, Y.
    The scintillation index as evaluated by the unmodified (classical) Rytov method solution for weak turbulence and evaluated by the modified or the extended Rytov method solution for strong turbulence is compared in different turbulent media, such as non-Kolmogorov atmospheric, non-Kolmogorov jet engine exhaust, marine atmospheric, and oceanic turbulences. When the scintillations are evaluated against the turbulence strength for various non-Kolmogorov power law and source sizes, the distinction between the modified Rytov and the unmodified Rytov method solutions, as the strength of turbulence increases, is clearly observed in all the turbulent media. This distinction is emphasized when the comparison is made at larger power law and source sizes. The results in this paper will be helpful in optical wireless communication system performance evaluations. © 2025 Optica Publishing Group.
  • Article
    Field Correlations of a Gaussian Vortex Laser Beam in Vertical Turbulent Oceanic Links
    (Optica Publishing Group (Formerly OSA), 2026) Gerçekcioǧlu, H.; Baykal, Y.
    Utilizing the extended Huygens–Fresnel principle, field correlations of a Gaussian vortex beam propagating in the vertical turbulent oceanic link are examined analytically and evaluated by simulation in the Atlantic Ocean at low- and mid-latitude and high-latitude summer. Our formulation is based on the coherence length of a spherical wave operating at the depth range between 3000 and 3500 m. Variations in the rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy per unit mass of fluid ε, the rate of dissipation of the mean-squared temperature χT, and the ratio of temperature to salinity contributions to the refractive index spectrum ω are taken into account at these depths in the underwater turbulent medium. The field correlation obtained using the coherence length found with the help of the depth-dependent power spectrum is expressed in detail. When the topological charge is selected considering the source size and propagation distance, it is seen that the normalized field correlation of the Gaussian vortex beam gives better results as compared to Gaussian beams. © 2025 Optica Publishing Group. All rights, including for text and data mining (TDM), Artificial Intelligence (AI) training, and similar technologies, are reserved.
  • Article
    Solution Approaches for the Dynamic Naval Air Defense Planning Problem
    (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2026) Arslan, C.; Karasakal, O.; Kirca, Ö.
    The naval air defense planning (NADP) problem entails the defense of a naval fleet against aerial threats. This complex and dynamic problem requires real-time decision-making and adaptation to evolving warfare environment. While our previous work addressed the static NADP problem by proposing a mathematical model and heuristic solutions for sensor allocation, engagement scheduling, and ship routing, this study extends to the dynamic NADP problem. Unlike the static version, which assumes complete knowledge of future threats, the dynamic NADP problem requires continuous updates and real-time adjustments to decisions as new threats emerge and situational parameters change. We present modifications in the mathematical formulation, which is based on a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model, alongside a comprehensive simulation structure. We employ heuristic solution approaches that utilize a combination of a genetic algorithm, construction of an engagement graph to solve the shortest path problem, and dynamic programming (DP) techniques. Computational experiments are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of these methods in addressing the dynamic NADP problem. The study also explores machine learning models for threat prioritization, offering innovative solutions to the challenges posed by dynamic naval air defense scenarios. © 2013 IEEE.
  • Article
    Optical Wireless Communication in Atmosphere and Underwater: Statistical Models, Improvement Techniques, and Recent Applications
    (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2026) Ata, Y.; Al-Sallami, F.M.; Gökçe, M.C.; Vegni, A.M.; Rajbhandari, S.; Baykal, Y.
    Optical Wireless Communication Systems (OWCSs) are becoming more popular each day, especially after numerous mobile applications are being employed within the concept of Internet of Things (IoT). OWCSs are largely used in both terrestrial and non-terrestrial environments, like underwater, air, and space scenarios. Due to the large applicability of OWCS, it represents one of the main candidate technologies for the future 6G wireless communication systems. Naturally, this market trend forces the system designers to reach the best performance in their designs, as well as optimize the cost. In this survey paper, we intend to provide information to the researchers working in this field on the statistical models adopted in OWCS, the methods and techniques used to improve their performances, mainly in outdoor environment like air, space, and underwater. In this respect, the background on theoretical aspects of OWCS, together with their benefits, limitations and challenges are presented. Performance improvement techniques employed in OWCSs, such as power increase, partial coherence, beamforming, aperture averaging, spatial diversity, and intelligent reflecting surfaces, are also introduced. Finally, we discuss the open challenges that researchers are still facing, together with future directions on next steps for a large-scale adoption of OWCS. © 1998-2012 IEEE.
  • Article
    The Impact Of Cloud Computing And Artificial Intelligence Integration On Service Transformation İn Academic Libraries
    (University and Research Librarians Association (UNAK), 2025) Celik, Murat
    This study examines the effects of cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, which are the leading components of information age technologies, on transforming academic libraries from traditional service understanding to modern information centers. The findings obtained through the literature review method show that the infrastructural flexibility, efficiency, and scalability brought by cloud computing and the automation, personalization, and accessibility opportunities provided by AI lead to significant transformations in library services. In addition, the studies revealed that integrating cloud computing and artificial intelligence provides significant gains, such as accelerating access to information, improving user experience, and increasing operational efficiency. However, in addition to infrastructural deficiencies and financial constraints, integration processes also bring about various challenges, such as data security, ethical concerns, legal regulations, personnel competencies, and institutional readiness. The study analyzes the current status of these technologies in libraries, their potential application areas, and future effects. It offers strategic recommendations for information professionals and institution managers in this transformation process. As a result of the study aims to shed light on the future service models of academic libraries by offering suggestions such as continuous education, inter-institutional collaborations, strategic planning and the establishment of ethical policies to overcome these difficulties. © 2025 University and Research Librarians Association (UNAK). All rights reserved.
  • Article
    Comprehensive Analysis of Data Augmentation Methods in Classification for an Imbalanced Epilepsy Dataset
    (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2026) Calis, A.G.; Ergezer, H.
    Imbalanced class distribution reduces the generalizability of classifiers in EEG-based epilepsy detection. This study examines the impact of the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) and its variants on imbalanced electroencephalography (EEG) data, utilizing an end-to-end data processing pipeline. Band-limited filtering is applied as pre-processing, and then the training data is gradually oversampled by 20% increments in four scenes. Experiments are conducted on coarse-k-nearest neighbor (Coarse-KNN), bagged trees, and artificial neural network (ANN) classifiers, and evaluation is performed using accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and Matthew’s correlation coefficient (MCC) metrics. In Scene #4, where the inter-class imbalance is eliminated, Borderline-SMOTE yielded the highest and most consistent results (F1 Score = 0.903–0.937, MCC = 0.830–0.894). Safe level-SMOTE (SL-SMOTE) and SMOTE/Geometric-SMOTE(G-SMOTE) produced second-ranked results. The findings demonstrate that appropriate variant selection provides consistent gains even across classifiers, making Borderline-SMOTE the recommended approach for imbalanced EEG classification. Furthermore, in the detailed analysis of ensemble sampling limits, SMOTE-based combined approaches (e.g., SL + G SMOTE) also produced consistent results. Basic descriptive statistics (mode, median, variance, and kurtosis) of the synthetic samples were found to be comparable to those of the real data, providing additional evidence of distributional consistency. © 2013 IEEE.
  • Article
    NATO-EU Complementarity Through Strategic Concept and the Strategic Compass: The Impact of the Strategic Compass on European Integration
    (Faculty of European Studies, 2025) Akşemsettinoğlu, G.
    The Russia-Ukraine war and the changing geopolitical interests of the major powers have created several new threats for Europe. At the same time, new challenges such as cyber-attacks, hybrid wars and climate change have alarmed the European states. Therefore, these developments required NATO and the EU to take measures separately and proceed by common action. In line with this need, NATO issued the Strategic Concept and the EU issued the Strategic Compass. Examining the two strategies has revealed that they are not competing but completing documents to provide European defence and security. Therefore, the first purpose of this article is to present the idea of complementarity between NATO and the EU in European security. This understanding will also serve the second purpose of the article, which is the manifestation of the impact of the Strategic Compass on European integration. In other words, complementarity will create a structural framework for strengthening the Strategic Compass and the European integration process. In this context, since the Strategic Compass has reflected a consensus of the EU member states to cooperate on defence and security issues, it is essential to know whether it has contributed to the European integration process by deepening policies on defence and security. Thus, the article concludes that, strengthened by NATO’s strategic concept in the context of complementarity, the strategic compass has become an important step in the European integration process. © 2025 Faculty of European Studies. All rights reserved.
  • Article
    A Discrete Element Method for Evaluating the Seismic Performance of Concrete Gravity Dam-Reservoir Systems Under Main Shock-Aftershock Events
    (Tulpar Academic Publishing, 2025) Soysal, B.F.
    Dams are crucial for water supply, flood prevention, and hydroelectric power generation. Often located in seismically active regions, they are vulnerable to main shock-aftershock (MS-AS) sequences, which can compromise structural integrity and hydraulic safety. Critical aspects of dam response to MS–AS events remain unclear, particularly the required rest time between successive events and threshold AS-to-MS intensity measure ratios that could serve as predictors of additional damage. This study addresses these gaps by analyzing concrete gravity dam–reservoir systems of three heights (50 m, 100 m, and 150 m) using the developed discrete element–based approach coupled with displacement/pressure-based mixed finite elements for the reservoir. Empirical rest time equations were derived from 124 as-recorded ground motions, while seismic performance under varying intensity levels was evaluated using 14 as-recorded MS–AS sequences. Damage was quantified using discrete indices of base crack length, maximum base crack width, and maximum total upstream crack width. Results indicate that AS primarily propagate existing cracks at lower intensities, whereas higher intensities generate new cracks along the upstream face, increasing crack widths by 25–30% on average. The 50 m high dam remained within the mild damage category, while taller dams occasionally reached moderate levels, posing potential seepage risks. Threshold AS-to-MS ratios for four different intensity measures were identified. These findings provide mechanistic insight into crack propagation under MS-AS events, providing practical guidance for post-earthquake dam safety assessment, inspection prioritization, and incorporating sequential seismic effects into design and emergency planning. © 2025 by the Author.
  • Article
    Crack Detection on Asphalt Runway Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Data With Non-Crack Object Removal and Deep Learning Methods
    (Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Escuela de Construccion Civil, 2025) Tapkin, S.; Tercan, E.; Bostan, A.; Şengül, G.
    Unmanned aerial vehicles are extensively utilized for image acquisition in a cheap, fast, and effective way. In this study, an automatic crack detection method with non-crack object removal and deep learning-based approaches are developed and tested on images captured by unmanned aerial vehicle. The motivation of this study is to detect either a crack exists or not in the asphalt-runway. The novelty of this study lies in integrating a non-crack artifact removal process with six classical edge detectors and comparing the resulting performance with four lightweight CNN models on the same UAV-acquired runway image dataset, enabling a unified evaluation of classical and learning-based approaches. For deep learning-based approach, four lightweight CNN models, namely GoogleNet, SqueezeNet, MobileNetv2, and ShuffleNet, are trained and the best accuracy of 87.9 is obtained whenever GoogleNet model is used. For the non-crack object removal approach, exclusion of non-crack objects from the images is the first step, where crack-detection which makes use of edge-detection techniques is the latter. In the study, Sobel, Prewitt, Canny, Laplacian of Gaussian, Roberts and Zero Cross edge detection algorithms are examined and their success rates in detecting cracks are comparatively presented. With sensitivity=0.981, specificity=0.744, accuracy=0.917, precision=0.912 and F-score=0.945 values Canny algorithm performs significantly better than others in detecting the cracks. This study provides enough evidence for the practicability of automated crack detection on unprocessed digital photographs by the results of the study conducted on asphalt runway. © (c) 2025 Tapkın, S., Tercan, E., Bostan, A. and Şengül, G. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
  • Article
    Random Vibration Analysis of Nuclear Power Plant Structures
    (Elsevier Science Sa, 2026) Dal, Gizem Caglar; Soyluk, Kurtulus
    In this study, random vibration analysis of a nuclear power plant building under earthquake loading is performed based on a large-magnitude earthquake of Kobe 1995. A typical nuclear power plant structure widely used in China is selected as a numerical model and modeled as a 3D system. Within the scope of the study, random vibration and deterministic analyses were performed on firm, medium, and soft soils to determine the effects of earthquake motions on nuclear power plant systems. In the study, the theory of random vibration analysis based on the filtered white noise (FWN) ground motion model was utilized and it was intended to determine to what extent the FWN model reflects the real earthquake motion. In addition to soil type, the considered power plant system is analyzed for the ground motions showing near-fault and far-fault characteristics. As a result of the study, it is concluded that the FWN ground motion model used to model earthquake ground motion can be used to consider the effect of real earthquakes. It is also underlined that differences in soil type, fault type and analysis methods affect the results for the considered nuclear power plant structure.
  • Article
    Beam Shaping on a Fluorescent On-Chip Imaging System
    (IOP Publishing Ltd, 2026) Arpali, Caglar; Arpali, Serap Altay
    The fluorescent on-chip imaging system differs from a conventional fluorescent microscope in terms of the imaging method because the sample is directly placed on the imaging sensor (i.e., charge-coupled device (CCD)). While this imaging modality presents several advantages, including a wide field of view and rapid scanning speed, it can be difficult to detect certain particles in dense and scattering environments, such as whole blood and tissue. These difficulties lead to a decreased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in the captured images, influenced by both the medium's light-transmitting capability and the excitation techniques used. In this paper, we quantitatively examine the effect of beam shaping techniques on a fluorescent on-chip imaging system from the SNR perspective. An experimental comparison is conducted between a Gaussian beam and plane-wave illumination generated by a novel phase modulation schema using our developed imaging platform. The results indicate that the Gaussian beam produces higher SNR images than plane waves when detecting fluorescent particles in a microchannel. Gaussian beam's higher energy confinement ability enhances the image quality of on-chip fluorescent imaging systems, particularly involving scattering-like medium limitations.
  • Article
    Improving Last-Mile Delivery in Humanitarian Logistics by Solving a Two-Echelon Routing Problem with Portering and Infrastructure Disruptions
    (Springer India, 2026) Mutlu, Ismail Nurullah; Togrul, Ergul Kisa; Kazanc, H. Cansin Uzgoren; Kilic, Kaan; Soysal, Mehmet
    Over time, catastrophes have increasingly caused significant material and human losses. Effective logistics management in humanitarian aid is crucial to minimizing these impacts. Infrastructure damage from disasters introduces uncertainties that must be considered when routing trucks for relief item delivery. This study proposes a Mixed Integer Programming model for the Two-Echelon Vehicle Routing Problem in Humanitarian Aid Logistics (2E-VRP-HAL) to minimize total travel time. An earthquake scenario in Kartal, Istanbul is used to demonstrate the model's accuracy and applicability while accounting for road closures. A diverse fleet, including trucks and pedestrians, addresses delivery challenges, with handover stations enabling access to unreachable areas. To address larger problem instances, a set partitioning approach is used to cluster demand points, followed by a MIP-based local search heuristic to refine the results. Numerical analysis shows up to 15.83% improvement in medium-sized instances and feasible results for larger cases where the model struggles. These findings highlight the potential of proposed decision support methods.
  • Article
    Researcher as an Enigmatic Object in a Fieldwork on Addiction: Positionality within the Lacanian Context
    (Routledge Journals, Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2026) Canbolat, Fazilet
    How can positionality be understood beyond ego-based notions of identity? This article addresses this question by using Parker's Lacanian Discourse Analysis to explore positionality at the level of the subject, rather than the coherent researcher-self often assumed in reflexive accounts. The analysis draws on a text authored by the researcher that does not merely document interactions with gatekeepers during a one-year postdoctoral study on addiction among immigrants, but also incorporates the researcher's own reflexive statements, ethical and methodological considerations, and theoretical interpretations; accordingly, the researcher is treated as the sole participant. This type of analysis demonstrates how Lacanian Discourse Analysis enables an investigation of positionality that foregrounds division, misrecognition, and the influence of social and academic discourses, rather than personal identity alone. From a post-structuralist perspective, the article evaluates reflexivity and positionality as fluid, recursive, and contingent processes, arguing that reflexive writing necessarily stages the limits of self-knowledge rather than resolving them.
  • Article
    Randomised Comparison Between Navigation and Non-Navigation Camera Control Performance in a Surgical Simulation Task Using a Haptic Device Interface
    (Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, 2026) Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil; Topalli, Damla; Tuner, Emre; Berker, Mustafa
    Introduction:Navigation skills for controlling the camera in the surgical field are critical for many minimally invasive surgery (MIS) procedures. Currently, endoscopes lack integrated navigation aids, making camera control a challenging task. This experimental study aims to investigate the effect of navigation guidance on the performance of beginners.Patients and Methods:A custom computer-based simulation environment was developed for this study, featuring two conditions - one with navigation guidance and one without - focussed on a camera-cleaning task. Participants (64 beginners) were randomly assigned to one of these groups and used two haptic devices to simulate the endoscope and surgical tools.Results:Participants in the guided condition performed significantly better than those in the unguided condition. Notably, female participants completed the task in significantly less time under the guided condition compared to the unguided one.Conclusion:These findings suggest that incorporating navigation aids into endoscope interfaces could improve user performance, especially for beginners. Medical device manufacturers should consider adding navigation features to enhance usability. In addition, simulation-based instructional systems should integrate navigation aids to better support surgical training.
  • Article
    Importance of Zoning for Vertical Circulation Planning of Densely Populated Buildings: A Simulation Based Approach for Elevator Traffic Analyses
    (Gazi Univ, 2025) Deligoz, Dostcan; Harputlugil, Timucin
    Elevator systems are essential in multi-story buildings, affecting circulation, travel time, and user comfort. Traditional design methods, based on mathematical calculations, provide initial estimates of elevator numbers and capacities by considering basic operational criteria. However, these methods cannot fully capture dynamic passenger flows and temporal variations in demand. Dynamic simulation-based elevator traffic analysis, on the other hand, allows for more comprehensive evaluation of elevator operations and enables testing of alternative zoning scenarios. In this study, a dynamic simulation-based analysis is applied as a case study for a hospital outpatient building. Different zoning strategies are implemented for elevator groups to evaluate their effect on system performance. Performance criteria, including Average Waiting Time (AWT), Average Time To Destination (ATTD), and Interval (INT), are assessed across different zoning scenarios and compared with values commonly reported in the literature. The results highlight the potential of zoning to improve elevator performance, including passenger handling, waiting times, and travel efficiency. Especially in buildings where physical modifications are difficult, the combination of simulation-based analysis and carefully designed zoning strategies can reveal the potential for enhancing operational performance and optimizing elevator efficiency within existing physical constraints.
  • Article
    Transmittance of Gaussian Beam in Anisotropic Jet Engine Exhaust Turbulence
    (Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd, 2026) Baykal, Yahya
    Transmittance is a metric that provides information on how much of the intensity is transferred to the receiver for a given medium. One of the definitions of transmittance is the ratio of the average received intensity in the presence of turbulence to the received intensity in the absence of turbulence. Under such definition, transmittance is found in an anisotropic jet engine exhaust turbulent environment. For various receiver points, transmittances versus the wireless optical communication (WOC) link and anisotropic jet engine exhaust turbulence parameters are presented. The results are useful for designers of WOC links that are installed in the premises such as the airports that possess jet engine exhaust turbulence.
  • Conference Object
    Quantum Implementation of S-Boxes: A Memory Optimized Approach
    (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2025) Tilki, Ozcan; Saran, A.N.; Cildiroglu, H.O.; Yayla, O.
    Substitution boxes (S-boxes) serve as fundamental non-linear components in symmetric cryptography, and their quantum circuit implementation is critical for quantum security. This work addresses the dual challenges of quantum circuit depth optimization and computational intractability in S-box synthesis. We introduce memory-optimized data structures, a pointer-efficient RandomAccessSet and a dynamic devector, that reduce memory overhead by 12 times per element, thereby mitigating the computational complexity associated with Pauli representation. Our enhanced Meet-in-the-Middle framework achieves exhaustive depth optimization for standardized S-boxes, demonstrating up to 8.5% depth reduction over DORCIS baselines at equivalent T-depth. The approach scales to 5-8-bit primitives, establishing memory efficiency as an independent resource dimension in quantum circuit synthesis. Comparative analysis under varied cost parameters provides new insights for resource-efficient cryptographic implementations on quantum hardware. © 2025 IEEE.
  • Article
    New Insights Into the Correlation Between Secondary Traumatic Stress and Cognitive Flexibility in Mental Health Therapists and Counselors
    (Florida Gulf Coast University, 2025) Durak, H.; Çelik, E.G.; Çelik, B.
    Mental health professionals regularly witness their clients' challenging life events, which they must cope with throughout their careers. This study examines the association between secondary traumatic stress (STS) and cognitive flexibility among counselors and therapists and explores their variations by demographic and professional factors. The participants included 536 professionals (psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and child development specialists). Secondary traumatic stress and cognitive flexibility were assessed using the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale and the Cognitive Control and Flexibility Scale, respectively. Demographic data were collected using the Personal Data Form. SPSS 21.0 software was used for data analysis. Pearson correlation analysis revealed a moderate negative association between the participants' STS and cognitive flexibility levels. The findings indicated a higher STS risk among child development specialists, younger professionals, those who are single or do not have children, those who have lower income or fewer years of experience, and those without trauma-related training or supervision. Conversely, older age, marriage, children, higher income, higher level of education, longer experience, and trauma-related training were identified as protective factors for cognitive flexibility. Several recommendations were provided to strengthen mental health professionals’ flexibility and reduce the impact of STS on them. First, supportive measures in protection, prevention, and treatment for mental health professionals who work in the field of trauma should be taken. Second, priority should be given to extending certified training programs that will improve the professional skills of mental health workers. Third, counselors should be supported by peer, individual, and group supervision. Finally, examining gender-specific risks is essential to increase women's cognitive flexibility and improve their physical and emotional well-being. © 2025, Florida Gulf Coast University. All rights reserved.