INTRODUCTION: Impairment in cognitive functions is recognized as an important feature of bipolar disorder and has been studied as an endophenotypic marker for bipolar disorder. The Stroop Test is widely used to assess executive functions such as response inhibition and set shifting. This study aimed to evaluate the Stroop Test Çapa Version by examining its sensitivity and specificity in assessing executive function impairment in individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder during the euthymic state.
METHODS: In this retrospective study, 156 euthymic patients with bipolar disorder type I and 125 healthy controls were included. ROC analyses were conducted separately for the completion times of Stroop A, Stroop B, and Stroop C subtests and Stroop D (calculated as the reaction time difference between Stroop C and Stroop B). Optimal, diagnostic, and screening cut-off points and corresponding sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were determined for each score type.
RESULTS: The bipolar disorder group took longer to complete all subtests than the control group (p<0.007 for all). The highest AUC value was found for Stroop C (AUC=0.671; p<0.0001), followed by Stroop A (AUC=0.659; p<0.0001), Stroop D (AUC=0.649; p<0.0001) and Stroop B (AUC=0.606; p=0.0019).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The results show that Stroop Test Çapa Version reaction times do not reach very high sensitivity and specificity values when used alone in bipolar disorder and should be used in combination with other neuropsychological tests and methods in clinical and cognitive assessment of bipolar disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Bipolar Disorder (BD) frequently co-occur. While several studies suggest a temporal and clinical relationship between the two disorders, little is known about the presence of prodrome BD symptoms in individuals with OCD. This study aimed to examine whether young adults diagnosed with OCD exhibit elevated levels of prodrome symptoms of BD compared to psychiatrically healthy controls.
METHODS: A total of 66 participants aged 18–25 were included: 31 with a diagnosis of OCD and 35 healthy controls. Bipolar prodrome symptoms were assessed using Bipolar Prodrome Symptom Scale (BPSS). Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) were also administered. Group differences were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test; associations between OCD severity and prodromal symptoms were examined using Spearman correlation.
RESULTS: OCD participants demonstrated significantly higher scores on both the frequency (U = 251.50, p <.001, rrb =.60) and severity (U = 203.50, p <.001, rrb =.62) subscales of BPSS compared to control group. In the total sample, OCD symptom severity was moderately correlated with BPSS severity (r =.58, p <.001) and frequency (r =.53, p <.001). However, within the OCD group alone, these correlations did not reach statistical significance. When Expectation Maximization correction was applied, similar association patterns were observed.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This is one of the first studies in the literature investigating BD prodrome symptoms in young adult OCD patients. Young adults with OCD exhibit elevated levels of bipolar prodrome symptoms relative to healthy individuals. The absence of within-group correlations and the cross-sectional design limit causal interpretation. Clinicians should consider monitoring prodrome bipolar symptoms in OCD patients, particularly during the late adolescent and early adult years. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm the reliability and validity of the findings.

INTRODUCTION: A burgeoning body of evidence suggests a higher prevalence of autistic traits among individuals with misophonia. This study aimed to examine the comorbid psychiatric diagnoses and autistic traits along with associations between sensory profiles and internalizing symptoms in a clinical sample of adolescents with misophonia, while also comparing them to a control group.
METHODS: Female adolescents with misophonia (n = 22) and controls (n = 22) aged 14-18 years participated in this study. Psychiatric evaluations were conducted with semi-structured interviews. The diagnosis of misophonia was established both clinically and through the use of the Amsterdam Misophonia Scale Revised. Autistic traits were assessed by the Youth Self Report. The Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale-Child Version and the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile were administered.


RESULTS: The misophonia group exhibited a high prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses, particularly obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety disorders. Adolescents with misophonia had a significantly higher level of internalizing symptoms, autistic traits, and sensory sensitivities (p<0.001, r=0.58; p<0.01, d=1.02; and p<0.001, r=0.58, respectively). Autistic traits had a mediating role in the relationship between misophonia and sensory sensitivity.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that evaluating autistic traits may offer valuable insights into understanding and managing misophonia in female adolescents, opening up avenues for the development of targeted interventions aimed at mitigating the impact of misophonia-related sensory sensitivity outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted mental health, with mood disorder patients at increased risk due to stress, isolation, and healthcare disruptions. While studies highlight rising depression and anxiety in these populations, comparisons of pre- and post-pandemic symptoms remain limited. This study examines the late-phase mental health effects of the pandemic on mood disorder patients and associated factors.
METHODS: In our study, 67 hospitalized mood disorder patients (March 2019–March 2020) were assessed in the ninth month of the pandemic. Data, including sociodemographics, illness severity, and COVID-19 fear, were collected through face-to-face or online interviews.
RESULTS: Participants were 65.7% female and 34.3% male, with a mean age of 45.8±19 years. Of the patients, 32.9% had completed college education, and 56.2% were unemployed. Interviews were face-to-face (44.8%) or telepsychiatric (53.7%). The mean pre-pandemic hospitalization duration was 41.6±24.8 days. No significant differences were found in HAM-D scores pre-pandemic and post-pandemic for major depressive or bipolar depressive patients. However, 55.2% had HAM-D ≥8 during the pandemic. Patients with a history of COVID-19 infection showed significantly higher depression severity.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: By the ninth pandemic month, over half of mood disorder patients had depressive symptoms. COVID-19 infection, lack of knowledge, and unmet psychological support needs were linked to depression. Restricted access to mental health services further increased depression rates. These findings highlight the psychosocial and biological impacts of the pandemic on mood disorders.

INTRODUCTION: Although it is well known children and adolescents with a chronic medical or psychiatric illness might be adversely affected by emotional and behavioral attitudes of family members, our knowledge of the associations among gastrointestinal diseases, psychiatric disorders and family functions in adolescents is still largely based on scarce data. This paper aims to examine the psychiatric symptom levels and family function areas in youths, who underwent endoscopy and gastric biopsy because of gastrointestinal complaints and compare their results with healthy controls.
METHODS: The sample of this study consisted of patients aged 12-18 who were scheduled to undergo diagnostic endoscopy and gastric biopsy at the Gastroenterology outpatient clinic of a Pediatric Hospital, and age and gender- matched healthy controls from the COVID-19 vaccination outpatient clinic of the same hospital. The study group consisted of youths who were determined to have clinically normal intelligence in the psychiatric evaluation conducted by a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry specialist. Revised-Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (R-CADS) was used to assess depressive and anxiety symptom levels and Family Assessment Device (FAD) to determine family functionality.
RESULTS: When the cases with positive endoscopic findings and normal results were compared in terms of psychiatric problems, no significant difference was found as well. Family history of medical disease was detected to be statistically significantly higher in the positive result group.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Contrary to expectations, we did not find a significant difference between patients with gastrointestinal problems and healthy controls in terms of psychiatric symptom levels. However, it’s worthwhile noting that higher Protection factor index (PFI) (academic achievement and Socio-economic status) and better family functions predicted lower depression scores of patients with gastrointestinal problems.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to examine the cognitive functions of patients referred to the Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (CLP) Department due to mental health issues from different medical specialties, who report subjective forgetfulness during psychiatric evaluation.
METHODS: The study sample recruited patients aged between 40 to 65, who were referred for mental health evaluation to the CLP Department of the Department of Psychiatry at Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine from all medical treatment units of the faculty hospital over the last 10 years (between 2014 and 2024). Cognitive assessments were conducted at the Clinical Psychology Laboratory of the Department of Psychiatry. In this retrospective study, all accessible data of the neuropsychological test (NPT) results were included to analyses (n=71). The results were compared with those of a matched healthy control group (n=23).
RESULTS: Among patients reporting subjective forgetfulness, those referred from neurology had worse performance on forward digit span (p=0.03), semantic fluency (p<0.001), and Stroop Test error count (p=0.02), as well as memory encoding (p=0.03) and retrieval (p=0.02) scores compared to control group. Additionally, memory encoding (p=0.02) and retrieval (p<0.001) scores were worse in these patients than in those referred from other medical units.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight differences in the NPT results of patients referred to the CLP department, offering important insights for understanding and clinical approaches to subjective forgetfulness. It should be considered that; subjective forgetfulness may not primarily be associated with psychological distress but underlying medical conditions may also play a significant role in cognitive dysfunction.

INTRODUCTION: This study examines the impact of cultural self-construals in the context of autonomy and relatedness on help-seeking behavior for non-psychotic mental illnesses. Cultural factors shape individuals' perceptions of mental illness and the treatment methods they pursue. Individuals with an independent-autonomous self-construal tend to seek medical assistance, whereas those with an interdependent-relational self-construal are more inclined toward traditional and non-medical methods.
METHODS: The study was conducted with 80 patients who applied to the psychiatry outpatient clinic of our hospital. Participants completed the Autonomous-Relational Self Scale (ARSS) and the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ). They were categorized into three groups: "medical help-seekers," "non-medical help-seekers," and "those using mixed methods." Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Chi-square tests.
RESULTS: Among participants, 46.2% sought medical help, 36.2% used non-medical methods, and 17.5% used both. The medical group had significantly higher autonomy scores (29.2±4.4) compared to the non-medical (23.3±5.7; p<0.001) and combined groups (23.6±7.9; p=0.002). In contrast, relational self-construal was higher in the non-medical group (32.2±5.7) than in the medical group (28.0±5.7; p=0.006). The main reasons for choosing non-medical approaches were despair (48.8%), personal beliefs (41.9%), and influence from close others (39.5%).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Cultural self-construals play a crucial role in help-seeking processes for mental illnesses. Individuals with a relational self-construal tend to be influenced by their social environment and are more likely to turn to non-medical methods. As autonomy levels increase, the likelihood of seeking professional psychiatric support also rises. The findings highlight the importance of cultural psychology in access to mental health services and emphasize the need for healthcare policies to consider cultural sensitivities.

Perfectionism is known to be both a risk factor and explanatory mechanism for many psychological disorders and also a barrier to treatment. Perfectionism is considered as a transdiagnostic concept in terms of these characteristics and has led to the development of many interventions to treat different psychopathologies by targeting perfectionism. In the literature, it is seen that in addition to individual intervention approaches that are known to be effective on perfectionism, interventions in group format have also been developed. The aim of this study was to systematically examine the effectiveness of group psychotherapies addressing perfectionism. Method: For this purpose, Pubmed MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Wiley and ULAKBIM Medical and Social Sciences databases were searched for English and Turkish articles between 2004 and 2024. Eleven eligible studies were included in the systematic review. Results: Results showed that different group psychotherapy approaches (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dynamic Relational Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) were effective in reducing perfectionism in non-clinical samples. However, it was concluded that the treatment protocol should be carefully considered for groups with diagnoses such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and eating disorders. Conclusion: Group psychotherapies can be effective depending on the therapy approach adopted. However, addressing only perfectionism in clinical samples provides a limited approach.

Malignant catatonia is defined as catatonia accompanied by hyperthermia and/or autonomic instability. Catatonia can develop in association with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder, as well as various medical and neurological conditions. However, our knowledge regarding the role of acute traumatic experiences in the development of catatonia remains limited. This case report discusses a presentation of malignant catatonia triggered by an acute psychological trauma in a patient with schizophrenia in remission. A 41-year-old male patient has been followed with a diagnosis of schizophrenia since 2003. Following an acute psychological traumatic event, the patient developed withdrawal, reduced speech, refusal to eat and drink, and generalized rigidity. Upon examination, the patient exhibited catatonic stupor, rigidity, mutism, negativism, and vital signs indicating hyperthermia and hypertension. Based on these findings, a diagnosis of malignant catatonia was considered. The patient was administered electroconvulsive therapy. After eight sessions of electroconvulsive therapy, a significant improvement in the patient's clinical symptoms was observed. Traumatic experiences may contribute to the development of malignant catatonia through mechanisms such as acute threat perception, inflammatory responses, autonomic instability, and dysregulated dopaminergic signaling.