Ali Savaş Çilli

Repetitive and frightening dreams and suicidal behavior in patients with major depression

The purpose of the present study was to examine the association between repetitive and frightening dreams and suicidal tendency in patients with major depression. Depressed patients who reported frequent nightmare (N = 29) and depressed patients who reported dreaming but never nightmares (N = 34) were evaluated using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS) suicide subscale to rate the severity of active suicidality. The patients with frequent nightmares, particularly women, had higher mean SADS suicide subscale scores and were more likely to be classified as suicidal than the others. The findings demonstrate that frequent nightmares are associated with suicidal tendency in patients with major depression. Theoretical and clinical implications for the function of dreaming are discussed.

Physical disability, psychological status, and health-related quality of life in older hemodialysis patients and age-matched controls

We aimed at comparing the elderly adults and normal subjects with regard to their disability, psychological status, and quality of life (QOL). One hundred and twenty‐five dialysis patients and 61 controls were recruited in the study. Depression and anxiety symptoms of the patients were evaluated with the Psychological Symptom Screening List (SCL 90‐R). For evaluating the disability, the Rivermead mobility index (RMI) was utilized. For evaluating the QOL, we used the short form‐36 (SF‐36) scale. The Rivermead mobility index of the patients (9.6±3.4) was found. When compared with controls, dialysis patients had higher levels of disability (p=0.0001). Depression and anxiety symptom scores of these patients were also significantly higher than that of the controls (p<0.05). There was a correlation between the disability and depression symptom scores (r: 0.171, p=0.037). Both physical and mental capacity scores of the dialysis patients were lower than those of the controls (p<0.05 and p<0.05) QOL scores for elderly hemodialysis patients were found to be lower. Their disability was higher, making them dependable on others during their daily lives. Specific exercise programs should be developed for these patients. Even the smallest effort in this regard will result in improvements in physical functioning while bringing them significant benefits.

Psychiatric disorders in patients with Behçet's disease

Objective. In this study, we aimed to investigate current prevalence and related clinical factors of psychiatric disorders in Behçet patients. Methods. Seventy-three outpatients who applied to a Behçet clinic and whose diagnosis was Behçets disease according to criteria of the International Study Group for Behçets disease were recruited in this study. Psychiatric diagnoses were assessed with The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV/Clinical Version (SCID-I/CV). Results. Thirty patients (41.1%) reported at least one current psychiatric disorder. Major depression (17.8%) was the most frequent psychiatric disorder. Specific phobia (16.4%), generalized anxiety disorder (15.1%) and social phobia (9.6%) were other frequent disorders. Prevalence rates of any psychiatric and anxiety disorder were significantly higher in females than males. There was no significant relationship between psychiatric morbidity and clinical characteristics of Behçets disease. Conclusion. Our study suggests that Behçet patients have high prevalence of psychiatric disorders. Therefore, psychiatric evaluation should be performed in all patients with Behçets disease.

Quality of life in rheumatological patients: The impact of personality disorders.

Objective Rheumatological diseases are associated with lower quality of life (QoL) levels. Psychiatric disturbances are frequently observed in these patients. This study examined the impact of personality disorders on the QoL of patients with rheumatological diseases. Method The study sample consisted of 142 participants including patients suffering from rheumatological disease with a personality disorder (n = 30), without any personality disorder (n = 112), and healthy control participants without physical or psychiatric disorders (n = 60). The Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (SCID-I) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM, Revised Third Edition Personality Disorders (SCID-II) were used to determine Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders, respectively. QoL levels were assessed by means of the World Health Organization QoL Assessment-Brief. Results The subscale scores of physical health, psychological health, and social relationships were significantly lower in patients with rheumatological disease regardless of the existence of personality disorder compared with the control participants. Rheumatological patients with a personality disorder had significantly lower subscale scores of psychological health (p = 0.003) and social relationships (p < 0.003) compared with patients without any personality disorder. Conclusions Personality disorders seem to be a relevant factor that maybe associated with QoL in patients suffering from rheumatological disease.

Nightmares and Serum Cholesterol Level: A Preliminary Report

Objective: To examine whether there is a relation between nightmares and serum lipid levels. Methods: Fifteen subjects who met DSM-IV criteria for the diagnosis of nightmare disorder and 15 healthy control subjects participated in the study. We used an enzymatic colorimetric method for cholesterol and triglyceride determination. We measured high-density lipoprotien (HDL) cholesterol using the direct HDL-cholesterol method. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was calculated according to the Friedewald formula. Results: Patients with nightmare disorder had lower serum triglyceride, lower total cholesterol, and lower LDL levels than healthy control subjects. Conclusion: These findings suggest that nightmares are associated with low serum lipid levels.