OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare patients with bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, who were either in an acute depressive episode or in remission, and a healthy control group on their cognitions related to depression and mania/hypomania, and on their response styles. METHODS: A total of 300 participants who presented to our outpatient psychiatry department were included in the study (100 participants with unipolar depression (DG), 100 with bipolar disorder, and 100 with no previous or current psychiatric disorder (CG)). The participants completed the Cognition Checklist (CCL), the Cognition Checklist for Mania (CCL-M-R), the Cognitive Distortions Questionnaire (CDQ), the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), the Hypomanic Attitudes and Positive Predictions Inventory (HAPPI), the Brief Core Schemas Scale (BCSS), Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), and the Responses to Positive Affect Questionnaire (RPAQ). The groups were compared with each other by one-way analysis of variance, independent samples t-test, and chi-square tests. RESULTS: The DG scored higher than the other groups on the CCL, the frequency and intensity subscales of the CDQ, the DAS, and the negative-self and negative-others subscales of the BCSS, the RRS, and on the dampening subscale of the RPAQ. The clinical groups scored higher than the CG on the scores of the relationships subscale of the CCL-M-R, the total score of the CDQ, and the HAPPI. The CG scored higher than the clinical groups on the positive-self subscale of the BCSS, and on the emotion focused positive rumination subscale. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are important in the differential diagnosis of mood disorders, and for their treatment with cognitive behavioural psychotherapy.

Introduction: In comparison with the general population, several studies have reported higher anxiety and depression rates not only in children with allergic diseases but also in their parents. We aimed to evaluate the mental health of children and their mothers affecting quality of life (QoL) in children with allergic diseases, and to compare anxiety and depression in these patients and their parents with the general population. Methods: One hundred and sixty-eight patients aged 8–18 years diagnosed with an allergic disease who visited our outpatient clinic and a control group of 61 children who did not have any chronic or allergic diseases were included in the study. Patients completed the Pediatric QoL Inventory, Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children, and Children’s Depression Inventory, while mothers completed the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Independent samples’ t-test was used to compare children’s QoL, trait anxiety, and depression scores and mothers’ GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scores between the controlled/mild and uncontrolled/moderate-severe groups. The effects of age, gender, disease severity, maternal depression/anxiety, and children’s depression/anxiety on QoL were analyzed with multivariate regression analyses. Results: QoL was lower in children with allergic diseases than healthy children, and although the mean QoL score was lower in the group with high disease severity, QoL in children with allergic diseases was not associated with disease severity but inversely related to anxiety/depression and maternal depression. Conclusions: As per the results, QoL is impaired in children with allergic diseases. Both anxiety/depression in the child and maternal depression may adversely affect QoL in these patients.

Objective: We aimed to determine the content of forensic psychiatric reports prepared in a university hospital, which institutions requested reports, which report was requested based on which law article, which branches of medicine were cooperated with; to raise awareness about frequently encountered forensic psychiatric cases by psychiatrists and psychiatry residents; and to emphasize the need for continuous and up- to-date training in this field. Methods: Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted using the data in the hospital electronic records of 272 participants aged 18 years and over, for whom preparation of a forensic psychiatric report was requested. Results: Considering the psychiatric diagnoses of the cases, 69 (25.4%) were not diagnosed with any mental disorder, 59 (21.9%) with mental retardation, 33 (12.1%) with psychotic disorders, and 29 (10.6%) with dementia. The majority of the distribution of the reasons for requesting a report was about whether there was criminal responsibility (31.3%), whether there was need for guardianship (27.9%), and whether the victim could defend themselves (14.0%). 39.3% of the requests came from courts, 30.2% from prosecutors and 20.6% from law enforcement officers. No law was specified for 187 of the cases (68.8%). More than half of the cases (53.6%) were consulted from neurology. Conclusion: The results of the study showed the reasons for report requests frequently encountered in psychiatry practice, different authorities that these requests came from, distribution of frequent psychiatric diagnoses and other departments that were consulted together with psychiatry. Giving priority to training covering these areas will meet the needs of...

Objective: We aimed to determine the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on health workers' health concerns and life. Methods: The study included 293 healthcare professionals reached via e-mail. A questionnaire created by researchers and health anxiety inventory were applied online to all participants. The questionnaire questions investigated the sociodemographic characteristics of the participant, whether he received psychological support during the COVID-19 outbreak, whether he had a chronic disease, whether he had problems with the care of his children, whether he was actively involved in the COVID clinic / service, and how his social and work life was affected. Results: Participants consisted of 73 doctors, 145 nurses and 75 other healthcare professionals (OHP). It was determined that the COVID-19 test was performed to the healthcare personnel in the risk group at a very low rate (1.4%). The number of people receiving psychiatric support during the COVID-19 outbreak was 59 (20.1%). It was determined that the COVID-19 outbreak affected business life and social life of healthcare professionals very much and significantly (p