Browsing by Author "Ozmen E."

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    The knowledge and attitudes of the public towards depression: an Istanbul population sample; [Depresyon ile ilgili bilgi ve tutumlar: Istanbul ornegi.]
    (2003) Ozmen E.; Ogel K.; Boratav C.; Sagduyu A.; Aker T.; Tamar D.
    OBJECTIVE: To assess the public's knowledge and attitudes towards depression and associated sociodemographic factors. METHOD: The survey was conducted in 2000 using face-to-face interviews in the homes of 707 adults in 24 different districts of Istanbul. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the influence of sociodemographic factors on attitudes towards depression. RESULTS: The results indicate that 78.9% diagnosed the depression vignette as a mental disorder. 86.6% of the sample considered "social environmental factors" and 68.2% "weak personality" to be as the cause of depression. 43.4% of the population thought that people with depression are aggressive, and 22.8% believe that their freedom should be restricted. 51.9% percent of the subjects thought that the patient defined in the vignette should consult a physician. 94.5% percent of the respondents who thought of depression as an illness believe that depression is treatable and 54.9% of the respondents consider that the drugs used to treat depression have serious side effects. When the effect of sociodemographic factors on community attitudes was analyzed by logistic regression, age was found to have the most significant influence on community attitudes towards depression. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the public identifies depression as an illness, has a tendency to perceive depression as a social problem, believes that depression could be treated by drugs, has incorrect knowledge about drugs and treatment, and is in doubt about the acceptance of depressive patients in society.
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    Public attitudes to schizophrenia in rural Turkey
    (2003) Taskin E.O.; Seyfe Sen F.; Aydemir O.; Demet M.M.; Ozmen E.; Icelli I.
    Background. The aim of this study was to determine the public's attitudes and their correlates towards patients with schizophrenia in rural areas. Methods. The study was carried out in a village near Manisa City, Turkey. Two hundred and eight subjects completed the public survey form which consists of ten items screening demographic and health status and 32 items rating attitudes towards schizophrenia. Results. Half of the subjects stated that persons with schizophrenia are aggressive and that they should not be free in the community. More than half of the subjects stated that they would be irritated about having a neighbour with schizophrenia (61.5%), that they would not rent their home to a person with schizophrenia (58.2%), that they do not want to work with a person with schizophrenia (61.1%), and that they would not get married to a person with schizophrenia (85.6%). Conclusions. The public in rural areas sufficiently recognises schizophrenia but has a tendency to stigmatise schizophrenic patients. Their attitudes are generally negative and rejective. They do not want close contact with schizophrenic patients. Interpretation of schizophrenia as a mental illness leads to more negative attitudes and increases the social distance.
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    Which psychiatric label is more stigmatizating? "ruhsal hastalik" or "akil hastaligi"; [Hangi etiket daha damgalayici: ruhsal hastalik mi? Akil hastaligi mi?]
    (2004) Ozmen E.; Taşkin E.O.; Ozmen D.; Demet M.M.
    OBJECTIVE: To determine which of the two different labels, "ruhsal hastalik" or "akil hastaligi", used for psychiatric disorders by the public in Turkey is more stigmatizing. METHOD: This study was carried out at Celal Bayar University School of Health in Turkey. The questionnaire was designed by the researchers and applied to all students (n=272) present at the school on the day of application. The attitudes and opinions of students were investigated using case vignettes describing sczhizophrenia and major depression. RESULTS: It was seen that 0.8% of the students described the depression vignette as "akil hastaligi" while 78% described it as "ruhsal hastalik" with the schizophrenia vignette, 26% of students described it as "akil hastaligi" while 65% described it as "ruhsal hastalik". The participants who described the schizophrenia vignette as "akil hastaligi" stated that persons with symptoms like those of the schizophrenia vignette should not be free in the community (p<0.0001), they would not rent their house to a person with schizophrenia (p=0.013) and persons with schizophrenia are aggressive (p<0.0001); they had more negative attitudes than the participants who described it as "ruhsal hastalik" CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the concepts "akil hastaligi" and "ruhsal hastalik" are used in different ways and the concept "akil hastaligi" has a more stigmatizing meaning. Therefore "akil hastaligi" should be avoided by health professionals when dealing with patients.
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    Public attitudes to depression in urban Turkey. The influence of perceptions and causal attributions on social distance towards individuals suffering from depression
    (2004) Ozmen E.; Ogel K.; Aker T.; Sagduyu A.; Tamar D.; Boratav C.
    Background. The aim of this study was to determine public attitudes towards patients with depression and the influence of perception and causal attributions on social distance towards individuals suffering from depression in urban areas. Methods. This study was carried out with a representative sample in Istanbul which is the biggest metropolis in Turkey. Seven hundred and seven subjects completed the public survey form which consisted of ten items screening the demographic features and health status of the participants, and 32 items rating attitudes towards depression. Results. The respondents' attitudes towards depression were very negative and nearly half of the subjects perceived people with depression as dangerous. More than half of the subjects stated that they would not marry a person with depression, and nearly half of the subjects stated that they would not rent their house to a person with depression. One-quarter of the subjects stated that depressive patients should not be free in the community. The subjects who considered depression as a disease and who believed that weakness of personality and social problems cause depression had negative attitudes towards depression. Conclusions. In Istanbul, people recognise depression well, but their attitudes towards it are fairly negative. The urban public has unfavourable attitudes towards depression and a tendency to isolate patients from the society. Notwithstanding the high prevalence, there is still considerable stigmatisation associated with depression.
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    Public opinions and beliefs about the treatment of depression in urban Turkey
    (2005) Ozmen E.; Ogel K.; Aker T.; Sagduyu A.; Tamar D.; Boratav C.
    Background: Although attitudes towards psychiatric illness influence its presentation, detection, recognition, treatment adherence and rehabilitation, the lay public's opinions and beliefs about the treatment of depression have not been investigated sufficiently. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine public opinions and beliefs about the treatment of depression and the influence of perception and causal attributions on attitudes towards treatment of depression in urban areas. Methods: This study was carried out with a representative sample in Istanbul, which is the biggest metropolis in Turkey. Seven hundred and seven subjects completed the public survey form which consisted of 32 items rating attitudes towards depression. Results: The public believes that psychological and social interventions are more effective than pharmacotherapy, and that the medicines used in treatment of depression are harmful and addictive. There was a general reluctance to consult a physician for depression, and psychiatrists were felt to be more helpful than general practitioners. The public viewed depression as treatable. A high educational level and perceiving depression as a disease is associated with positive beliefs and opinions about the treatment of depression; but the perception of depressive patients as aggressive is associated with negative beliefs and opinions about the treatment of depression. Conclusion: The beliefs that "psychological and social interventions are more effective than pharmacotherapy" and "antidepressants are harmful and addictive" must specifically be taken into account in clinical practice and in anti-stigma campaigns. Additional studies are needed to understand the public's tendency to conceptualise depression as a psychosocial problem. In clinical practice, depression should be introduced as a bio-psychosocial disease whatever its cause: biological, psychological or social. In addition, the differences between extreme worry and disease, and the lack of aggressiveness of depressive patients, must be emphasised. © Springer-Verlag 2005.
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    Prevalence of pseudoneurologic conversion disorder in an urban community in Manisa, Turkey
    (2007) Deveci A.; Taskin O.; Dinc G.; Yilmaz H.; Demet M.M.; Erbay-Dundar P.; Kaya E.; Ozmen E.
    Background: There is not a wide agreement upon rate of conversion disorder within Turkish population. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of conversion disorder with pseudoneurological symptoms or deficits and related risk factors in a city. Method: In total, 1,086 people, aged 15-65 years old, were selected from the city of Manisa, Turkey to take part in the study. We applied sociodemographic and health information questionnaires and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) Somatization Subscales to the samples. Results: The likelihood that an individual might have conversion disorder with pseudoneurological symptoms or deficits was found to be 5.6% (n = 61). The prevalence of conversion disorder with pseudoneurological symptoms or deficits was significantly higher among women (p < 0.0001), 15-24 year old women (p = 0.011) and 25-34 year old women (p = 0.003), people who live as squatters (p = 0.03), those with a history of psychiatric disorder (p < 0.0001) and those having a mother with a psychiatric disorder (p = 0.04). Conclusion: This study has shown the conversion disorder with pseudoneurological symptoms or deficits is inadequately frequent in the population. © Springer-Verlag 2007.
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    The association of self-esteem, depression and body satisfaction with obesity among Turkish adolescents
    (2007) Ozmen D.; Ozmen E.; Ergin D.; Cetinkaya A.; Sen N.; Dundar P.; Taskin E.O.
    Background. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity and to examine the effects of actual weight status, perceived weight status and body satisfaction on self-esteem and depression in a high school population in Turkey. Methods. A cross-sectional survey of 2101 tenth-grade Turkish adolescents aged 15-18 was conducted. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using weight and height measures. The overweight and obesity were based on the age- and gender-spesific BMI cut-off points of the International Obesity Task Force values. Self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and depression was measured using Children's Depression Inventory. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine relationships among the variables. Results. Based on BMI cut-off points, 9.0% of the students were overweight and 1.1% were obese. Logistic regression analysis indicated that (1) being male and being from a higher socio-economical level were important in the prediction of overweight based on BMI; (2) being female and being from a higher socio-economical level were important in the prediction of perceived overweight; (3) being female was important in the prediction of body dissatisfaction; (4) body dissatisfaction was related to low self-esteem and depression, perceived overweight was related only to low self-esteem but actual overweight was not related to low self-esteem and depression in adolescents. Conclusion. The results of this study suggest that school-based adolescents in urban Turkey have a lower risk of overweight and obesity than adolescents in developed countries. The findings of this study suggest that psychological well-being of adolescents is more related to body satisfaction than actual and perceived weight status is. © 2007 Ozmen et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.