The role of reassurance seeking in obsessive compulsive disorder: the associations between reassurance seeking, dysfunctional beliefs, negative emotions, and obsessive- compulsive symptoms.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the association of reassurance seeking with obsessive compulsive (OC) symptoms, dysfunctional beliefs, and negative emotions. METHODS: Reassurance Seeking Questionnaire, Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory, Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire, Trait Anger Expression Inventory, and Guilt Inventory were applied to 53 obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) patients and 591 non-clinical participants. RESULTS: The results showed that the severity of the OC symptoms significantly predicted the carefulness of OCD patients during reassurance seeking, indicating increased carefulness during reassurance seeking as the severity of OC symptoms increased. Moreover, feelings of guilt increased with increasing intensity of reassurance seeking. In addition, carefulness during reassurance seeking significantly predicted the level of anxiety. Responsibility/threat estimation, perfectionism/need for certainty, and importance/control of thoughts significantly predicted the OC symptoms. Moreover, the dysfunctional beliefs directly associated with an increased need to seek reassurance from different sources and seek reassurance more carefully. In terms of mediational effect, the results revealed that the individuals who had distorted beliefs were more likely to have OC symptoms and, in turn, the OC symptoms increased carefulness during reassurance seeking. The analysis of the model test revealed mostly similar results to those obtained for the clinical sample. CONCLUSIONS: The findings revealed a close relationship between OC symptoms and reassurance-seeking behaviors.

Is Reassurance Seeking Specific to OCD? Adaptation Study of the Turkish Version of Reassurance Seeking Questionnaire in Clinical and Non-Clinical Samples.

BACKGROUND: Reassurance seeking in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a kind of neutralization behaviour that causes considerable interpersonal conflicts. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to conduct the adaptation of the Reassurance Seeking Questionnaire (ReSQ; Kobori and Salkovskis, 2013) into the Turkish language, and to examine its psychometric properties. Moreover, we aimed to identify the specificity of reassurance seeking to OCD, as opposed to other anxiety disorders and depression. METHOD: Five groups of participants (OCD, anxiety disorders, depression, healthy control groups, and a university student sample) were administered ReSQ, Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire, Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised Form, State and Trait Anger Expression Inventory, Guilt Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory and State Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Form. RESULTS: The findings revealed acceptable test-retest and internal consistency coefficients, and also good construct, convergent, discriminant and criterion validity information for the Turkish version of the ReSQ scales. Results also revealed some aspects of reassurance seeking specific to OCD as opposed to other anxiety disorders and depression. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicated a good reliability and validity information for the Turkish version of the ReSQ, supporting the cross-cultural nature of the scale.

Perceived parental rearing behaviours, responsibility attitudes and life events as predictors of obsessive compulsive symptomatology: test of a cognitive model.

BACKGROUND: It is important to investigate the role of cognitive, developmental and environmental factors in the development and maintenance of Obsessive Compulsive Symptomatology (OCS). AIMS: The main objective of this study was to examine the vulnerability factors of OCS in a non-clinical sample. On the basis of Salkovskis' cognitive model of OCD, the study aimed to investigate the role of perceived parental rearing behaviours, responsibility attitudes, and life events in predicting OCS. Furthermore, the mediator role of responsibility attitudes in the relationship between perceived parental rearing behaviours and OCS was examined. Finally, the specificity of these variables to OCS was evaluated by examining the relationship of the same variables with depression and trait anxiety. METHOD: A total of 300 university students (M = 19.55±1.79) were administered the Padua Inventory-Washington State University Revision, Responsibility Attitudes Scale, s-EMBU (My memories of upbringing), Life Events Inventory for University Students, Beck Depression Inventory, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Form. RESULTS: Regression analysis revealed that perceived mother overprotection, responsibility attitudes and life events significantly predicted OCS. Furthermore, responsibility attitudes mediated the relationship between perceived mother overprotection and OCS. The predictive role of perceived mother overprotection and the mediator role responsibility attitudes were OCS specific. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study supported that perceived mother over-protection as a developmental vulnerability factor significantly contributed to the explanation of a cognitive vulnerability factor (namely responsibility attitudes), and perceived maternal overprotection had its predictive role for OCS through responsibility attitudes.

Temperament and character properties of primary focal hyperhidrosis patients.

BACKGROUND: Primary focal hyperhidrosis is a health problem, which has negative effects on the patient's quality of life and significantly affects the patients' daily activities, social and business life. The aim of this study is to evaluate temperament and character properties of patients diagnosed with primary focal hyperhidrosis. METHODS: Fifty-six primary focal hyperhidrosis (22.42 ± 7.80) and 49 control subjects (24.48 ± 5.17) participated in the study. Patients who met the diagnostic criteria for PFH were referred to psychiatry clinic where the subjects were evaluated through Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders-I and Temperament and Character Inventory. RESULTS: In order to examine the difference between the PFH and control group in terms of temperament and character properties, one-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was conducted. In terms of temperament properties, PFH group took significantly higher scores than control group in Fatigability and asthenia dimension. In terms of character properties, PFH group scored significantly lower than control group in Purposefulness, Resourcefulness, Self-Directedness and scored significantly higher than control group in Self-forgetfulness and Self-Transcendence. CONCLUSION: Temperament and character features of PFH patients were different from healthy group and it was considered that these features were affected by many factors including genetic, biological, environmental, socio-cultural elements. During the follow-up of PFH cases, psychiatric evaluation is important and interventions, especially psychotherapeutic interventions can increase the chances of success of the dermatological treatments and can have a positive impact on the quality of life and social cohesion of chronic cases.

The evaluation of primary idiopathic focal hyperhidrosis patients in terms of alexithymia.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the primary focal hyperhidrosis patients in terms of alexithymia. Participants (n = 50) diagnosed with primary focal hyperhidrosis by a dermatologist were referred to a psychiatrist and evaluated via Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders and Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. The rate of alexithymia was 45.6 percent and 18.2 percent, respectively, for primary focal hyperhidrosis and control participants (n = 44). Multivariate analysis of variance results showed that the primary focal hyperhidrosis group scored significantly higher than the control group in Difficulty Identifying Feelings and Difficulty Describing Feelings subscales, and total score. Psychotherapeutic interventions can increase the chances of dermatological treatment success and can have a positive impact on the quality of life in chronic cases.

Quality of sexual life in men with obstructive sleep apnoea.

The study investigated the quality of sexual life of male obstructive sleep apnoea patients. Apnoea and non-apnoea participants were assessed with Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS) and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) before the sleep test. Folicule Stimulating Hormone (FSH), Luteinising Hormone (LH), prolactin, testosterone and oestrogen levels were also evaluated. The apnoea group had a higher BMI and lower LH and testosterone levels than the non-apnoea group. There were no differences between the apnoea, non-apnoea groups and within the apnoea groups (mild, moderate and high apnoea) in terms of sexual satisfaction. Although there was a change in the hormonal levels of obstructive sleep apnoea patients, the sexual life of apnoea patients was not affected at the clinical level.

Early maladaptive schemas in bipolar disorder.

OBJECTIVE: According to the cognitive model of depression, negative schemas, formed in early life, increase susceptibility to depression. The objective of this study was to investigate schemas that are proposed to increase susceptibility of depression in bipolar disorder patients who have had depressive episodes. METHOD: Eighteen patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder according to DSM-IV and a healthy control group (N= 20) constituted the sample of the study. The Beck Depression Inventory, Young Mania Rating Scale, and Young Schema Scale were applied to patients in order to determine the level of symptoms and schemas. RESULTS: When the scores obtained from Young Schema Scale were compared between groups, significant differences were observed between bipolar patients and control group on all the schemas except abandonment, emotional deprivation, defectiveness, vulnerability to harm or illness, and approval seeking. The negative schema scores of bipolar patients were significantly higher than those of the control group. CONCLUSION: Of all schemas included in the Young Schema Scale, the scores of bipolar group were higher than the scores of the control group. These findings suggest that, in cognitive-based psychotherapeutic approaches for patients with bipolar disorder, it would be more effective to focus on schemas related to the perception and allowance of feelings at the proper time and the instability of self-perceptions.

Temperament and character properties of male psoriasis patients.

Personality properties have an effect on the onset and triggering of psoriasis. The current study aimed to examine the personality of psoriasis patients in relation to the severity of the illness. Psoriasis and healthy participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory, Temperament and Character Inventory. Severity of psoriasis was evaluated by the PASI. MANCOVA results revealed significantly higher Novelty Seeking, Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence and Self-Transcendence scores for psoriasis group. Severity of PASI was predicted by harm avoidance and reward dependence. Personality properties should be evaluated while planning therapeutic interventions for psoriasis patients.

Communication skills training for emergency nurses.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of a communication skills training program on emergency nurses and patient satisfaction. METHODS: Sixteen emergency nurses attended a 6-week psychoeducation program that was intended to improve their communication skills. The first 3 sessions of the psychoeducation program consisted of theoretical education on empathy and communication. Other sessions covered awareness, active communication, and empathic skills on a cognitive behavioral basis using discussion, role play, and homework within an interactive group. The effects of the program were assessed using a communication skills scale, empathy scale, and patient satisfaction survey and were reflected by the reduction in the number of undesirable events between nurses and patients in the emergency department. RESULTS: The mean communication skill score (177.8±20) increased to 198.8±15 after training (p=0.001). Empathy score also increased from 25.7±7 to 32.6±6 (p=0.001). The patient satisfaction survey of 429 patients demonstrated increased scores on confidence in the nurses (76.4±11.2 to 84.6±8.3; p=0.01); the nurse's respect, kindness, and thoughtfulness (72.2± 8.1 to 82.1 ± 6,5; p=0.01); individualized attention (71.3± 6.2 to 73.2 ± 9.8; p=0.2); devotion of adequate time to listening (84.6± 9.3 to 89.8 ± 7.6; p=0.03); and counseling and information delivery (71.1± 10.2 to 80.2 ± 9.7; p=0.01). The number of undesirable events and complaints during nurse-patient interactions decreased 66 % from 6 to 2. CONCLUSION: "Communication Skills Training" can improve emergency nurses' communication and empathy skills with a corresponding increase in patient satisfaction and reduction of the undesirable events and complaints during nurse-patient interactions.