Cicek Hocaoglu

By Cicek Hocaoglu, Cagdas H.Yeloglu and Selim Polat

Part of the book: Anxiety and Related Disorders

By Cicek Hocaoglu and Ayse Koroglu

Part of the book: Epilepsy in Children

By Cicek Hocaoglu

A universal phenomenon equally ancient as the history of mankind, suicide is defined as the willful and intentional ending of one’s own life. Risk factors for suicidal behavior are traumatic childhood and adulthood experiences, negative interfamily interactions, social isolation, decreased social solidarity, financial troubles, losses, despair, impulsivity, and migration. Recognized as a critical public health problem, preliminary causes of suicide are financial, religious, political, social, cultural, and medical in addition to mental disorders like depression and alcohol addiction. It has been proven in a number of researches till today that there is a correlation between major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, alcohol-drug use, and suicidal behavior. Nonetheless, the relation between anxiety disorders and suicidal behavior has not been clearly defined to date. The evidences gathered so far reveal that panic disorder is only an independent risk factor for suicide attempt. The limited number of studies on this domain provided nonhomogenous results. It is however a point to keep in mind that if anxiety disorders are codiagnosed with mental disorders, they pose risk for suicidal behavior. In different studies with a wider sampling in this domain, analyzing the effect of specific anxiety disorders on suicidal behavior might be useful for suicide prevention programs.

Part of the book: A Fresh Look at Anxiety Disorders

By Cicek Hocaoglu

Although eating disorders and anxiety disorders (AD) are under different diagnosis categories, it is striking that they have high comorbidity and similar clinical features. The most frequently informed anxiety disorders are obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), social anxiety disorder (SAD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Moreover, in cases with a tendency of perfectionism, concern and harm avoidance before the diagnosis of eating disorder, the anxiety disorder is able to be failed to notice. The existence of anxiety disorder or eating disorder makes these syndromes worse. Until today, the relation in between eating disorder and AD has tried to be clarified by phenomenological, neurobiological and family studies. But even if a significant relation has been specified in phenomenological aspect in between OCD and eating disorders, the relation in between eating disorders and other AD is not clear. The existence of AD may be a risk factor in the arise of eating disorders. Therefore, diagnosis and treatment of childhood-adolescence occurring AD may prevent the development of eating disorders. The comorbidity of eating disorders and AD is negatively affecting the treatment and prognosis of the disorder. Moreover, there is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of treatment options (medication, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), family therapy, dialectic behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy) used in the treatment of cases with a diagnosis of concurrent eating disorder and anxiety disorder. In this chapter, a review of the literature on the comorbidity between eating disorders and the anxiety disorders of OCD, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), SAD, GAD, simple phobia, agoraphobia and panic disorder.

Part of the book: Eating Disorders

By Cicek Hocaoglu

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizure (PNES) is one of the most common clinical conditions in which the diagnostic complexity is experienced. Misdiagnosis leads to many years of wrong treatment regimens, side effects of drugs, additional financial burdens and adverse effects on social life. Differential diagnosis with epileptic seizures (ES) is one of the most common problems in neurology clinics as well as other health centers. A careful history from the patient and his relatives, detailed neurological and psychiatric examination are very important in reaching the correct diagnosis and treatment. Although imaging advances such as video electroencephalography (vEEG) have improved the ability of physicians to accurately identify these disorders, the diagnosis and treatment of PNES is still a challenging issue. Early diagnosis, young age, less psychiatric comorbidity have a positive effect on prognosis. Psychiatric evaluation of patients with PNES may be particularly helpful in elucidating the etiology and detecting comorbid diseases and may be helpful in the long-term treatment of these patients.

Part of the book: Seizures

By Cicek Hocaoglu

For both partners, infertility is a complex and situational crisis that is generically psychologically threatening, emotionally stressful, financially challenging, and physically painful most of the times due to diagnostic-curative operations undergone. Infertility triggers a range of physical, psychological, social, emotional, and financial effects. Although it is not a life-threatening problem, infertility is yet experienced as a stressful life event for couples or individuals due to the exalted value attributed to having a child by individuals themselves or society in general. Infertile couples are not facing a medical condition alone but coping with a number of emotional states as well. Emotions, thoughts, and beliefs of infertile couples frequently change as one consequence of infertility diagnosis. Exposed to a tremendous social pressure, infertile couples may resort to hiding the problem due to the extreme privacy of the matter. Infertility also affects marriage life adversely.

Part of the book: Infertility, Assisted Reproductive Technologies and Hormone Assays

By Aslı Enzel Koc and Cicek Hocaoglu

Capgras delusion is a complex psychopathological phenomenon that presents in a wide range of psychiatric and neurological disorders with differing patterns dependent on the main etiology. An underlying neurological disease should be suspected where the delusion concerns a spouse or inanimate objects and is associated with visual hallucinations, while a functional disorder is suggested by multiple imposters, strangers, additional delusions, and auditory hallucinations. Misidentifications in Capgras syndrome (CS) are fixed false beliefs and, therefore, represent true delusions. Even if when patients are confronted over and over with the illogical nature of the delusion, they keep their beliefs. Surprisingly, patients may show implicit or explicit awareness of their true situation. Some research suggests that a considerable number of patients with CS have some awareness of the bizarre nature of the misidentification delusions and therefore tend not to report them, especially during initial interviews when they are less likely to be confident with the clinician. Specific questions and interventions may assist clinicians in successfully identifying patients with CS. In a series of interviews with these patients, some focus on identifying CS, rather than a single interview which is likely to increase the detection of the delusional misidentification. The clinician should always be mindful of the risk of aggression and homicide in CS.

Part of the book: Anxiety Disorders

By Cicek Hocaoglu

The new type of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which has affected the whole world and resulted in many people’s death, has also had negative effects on mental health. The measures, restrictions, and quarantine practices taken to control the pandemic have caused psychological, social, and economic problems. In studies conducted to date, it has been stated that anxiety symptoms, depression, severe adaptation, and sleep disorders are observed in people who have lost their relatives due to COVID-19, who were treated with the diagnosis of COVID-19, or who were exposed to intense information pollution related to the pandemic. It is also known that a large number of people lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and unemployment rates increased in countries. Economies and health systems of many countries are under this significant burden. In addition to the increase in the incidence of mental symptoms and disorders associated with COVID-19, growing socioeconomic problems pose a risk for suicide. In studies on the subject, attention is drawn to the rate of suicide that will increase during and after the pandemic, and warnings are given about taking precautions. In this section, the effects of COVID-19 on suicidal behavior will be discussed in light of findings in the literature.

Part of the book: Anxiety, Uncertainty, and Resilience During the Pandemic Period

By Dogancan Sonmez and Cicek Hocaoglu

The novel type of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which affected the whole world and resulted in the death of many people, caused problems in various fields in societies. The effects of the pandemic, especially on health and the economy, have reached important points and studies in these areas have intensified. It is also a known fact that the pandemic causes psychosocial problems in humans. Existing problems have also had negative effects on mental health. Measures, restrictions, and quarantine practices are taken to control the epidemic have caused psychological, social, and economic problems. The spread of the disease and changes in living conditions have led to an increase in negative attitudes among people. The pandemic has also caused discriminatory and stigmatizing attitudes among people. In addition, xenophobic attitudes, defined as fear, hatred, and prejudice against foreigners, have become widespread during the pandemic process. People exposed to stigma and xenophobic attitudes due to the pandemic have experienced social and economic inequalities. It is important to prevent stigmatizing and xenophobic attitudes during the pandemic process in order to ensure social cohesion in society. In this section, the psychosocial effects of stigma and xenophobia associated with COVID-19 will be discussed in light of literature.

Part of the book: Psychosocial, Educational, and Economic Impacts of COVID-19

By Dogancan Sonmez and Cicek Hocaoglu

Hair is one of the most important components of the individual’s appearance and self-perception, as an organ that has an important role in social and sexual communication in humans. Therefore, hair loss can have negative effects on self-confidence, body image and self-esteem. Trichopsychodermatology is a special field of psychodermatology that deals with the psychosocial causes and consequences of hair loss and hair diseases. Alopecia patients suffer from various mental disorders, especially anxiety and depression. Psychological stress and emotional difficulties act as triggers and accelerators in both trichotillomania, which is within the scope of primary psychiatric diseases, and hair diseases with different etiopathogenesis such as alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, cicatricial alopecia, androgenetic alopecia, anagen alopecia. Providing psychiatric diagnosis and treatment in a patient presenting with alopecia may also have a positive effect on the course of alopecia. In this section, the psychiatric approach to patients with alopecia is discussed. This situation, which is frequently observed by dermatologists in clinical practice, has actually been little studied in the literature.

Part of the book: Alopecia Management