Researcher: Kaçar, Anıl Şafak
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Kaçar, Anıl Şafak
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Publication Metadata only The Turkish version of the Masculine Gender Role Stress Questionnaire: dimensions of fears and their correlates in young adults(KARE PUBL, 2024) Kılçıksız, Can Misel; Bakır, Çiçek Nur; Kaçar, Anıl Şafak; Şar, Vedat; Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM) / Koç Üniversitesi Translasyonel Tıp Araştırma Merkezi (KUTTAM); School of Medicine; Graduate School of Health SciencesObjective: Studying Gender Role Stress (GRS) is important to understanding how gender norms and related fears impact individuals' well-being, relationships, and societal dynamics, including gender equality. This study investigated the validity, reliability, and utility of the Masculine Gender Role Stress (MGRS) questionnaire among young adults in Turkiye to obtain a standardized instrument suitable for future research. Method: Participants were recruited from students at three colleges in Istanbul through a convenient online sampling method. All participants completed the MGRS, Experiences of Shame, and Childhood Trauma Questionnaires. Due to gender-specific formulations in several items of the MGRS scale, participants identifying as female were excluded. The final sample comprised 110 male-identified participants and 26 individuals who identified as gender-queer or chose not to declare their gender. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses statistically rejected the MGRS questionnaire's original five-factor structure as shown by Comparative Fit Index. However, an exploratory factor analysis of the current data yielded the most interpretable fivefactor solution, representing fears of subordination, sexual inadequacy, performance failure, emotional expressiveness, and vulnerability. The MGRS questionnaire exhibited significant correlations between shame and childhood trauma scores. The revised version demonstrated excellent internal structure and test-retest consistency. Conclusion: This preliminary study suggests that the Turkish version of the MGRS questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing gender role stress in young adults. This tool is expected to be useful in clinical and community research studies on the correlates of gender role stress in Turkiye.Publication Metadata only Sexual dysfunction in women with human papilloma virus infection in the turkish population(Taylor & Francis, 2019) Mercan, Sibel; Sur, Haydar; Kilciksiz, Can Misel; Apaydin, Zuhal; Ayhan, Cem; N/A; Mercan, Ramazan; Durmaz Çetin, Birsen; Kaçar, Anıl Şafak; Ata, Mustafa Barış; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; PhD Student; Faculty Member; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; Graduate School of Health Sciences; School of Medicine; 125526; 111719; N/A; 182910Human papilloma virus infection (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease. It may increase the risk of several cancers, including those of the cervix, vulva, vagina, head and neck. HPV is usually transmitted during sexual intercourse; there are limited data about sexual dysfunction (SD) after infection with this virus. We aimed to measure the incidence of SD in women with HPV. In this study, we evaluated 67 HPV-infected female patients and 66 healthy controls. The Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Socio Demographic Form were used for evaluation. Gynaecologists and psychiatrists evaluated the participants. Women with HPV were found to have significantly higher Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX) total scores and ASEX sub scores than the control group in the domains of sexual desire, arousal, genital response, orgasmic experience and their satisfaction from orgasm (p.05). The study group shows a statistically significant difference in the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), but Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) scores show no significant differences between the experimental and control groups. Our study shows that HPV positivity in female patients is associated with a significant impairment in sexual function and that this impairment is not related to depression or anxiety.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? There are only a few studies concerned with sexual dysfunction in HPV patients. These studies have methodological problems, as they do not rule out the effect of depression on sexual dysfunction. It is very difficult to perform studies on sexual dysfunction and sexually transmitted diseases, because both physicians and patients are reluctant to talk about sexual problems. In the present study, only 6 out of 15 physicians accepted to contribute to the study. Although the physicians gave a questionnaire to more than 400 patients, only 133 of them completed that questionnaire. The most important difficulties in this study was to find enough patients.What do the results of this study add? Depression and sexual dysfunction are frequently seen in HPV patients. Although depression is one of the most common causes of sexual dysfunction, an HPV infection may lead to sexual dysfunction even in the patients without depression.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? HPV infections may be associated with mental health problems and sexual dysfunction. The gynaecologists and other clinicians working with HPV patients should also evaluate patients psychologically and refer patients to psychiatry if required. The psychiatric problems associated with an HPV infection do not only impair sexual functions, but also may lead to difficulties in social life.Publication Metadata only Obsessive-compulsive disorder during and after Covid-19 pandemic(Elsevier, 2021) N/A; Kaçar, Anıl Şafak; PhD Student; Graduate School of Health Sciences; N/AThis chapter explores the effects of Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19) pandemic on patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Firstly, the phenomenology of OCD is presented. Then, this chapter explains how and why OCD patients are expected to be affected by Covid-19. The limited literature about the association between OCD and Covid-19 is summarized. Additionally, this chapter advocates that the prevalence of OCD will be increased due to Covid-19 pandemic.Publication Metadata only The relationship between dietary elimination and maternal psychopathology in breastfeeding mothers of infants with food allergy(Wiley, 2022) Can, Ceren; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; Yılmaz, Özlem; Saçkesen, Cansın; Kaçar, Anıl Şafak; Göğebakan, Emre; Necef, Işıl; Mutluer, Tuba; Taşkıran, Ali Sarper; Kızılkan, Nuray Uslu; Doctor; Faculty Member; PhD Student; Undergraduate Student; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; Other; Faculty Member; N/A; School of Medicine; Graduate School of Health Sciences; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; Koç University Hospital; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; 140706; 182537; N/A; N/A; N/A; 305311; 195168; 221274Background: There has been no study evaluating the psychopathology in breastfeeding mothers of infants with food allergy (FA). Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between dietary elimination and maternal psychopathology, specifically anxiety, depression, and mother-to-infant bonding, in breastfeeding mothers of infants with food allergy. Methods: Breastfeeding mothers following an elimination diet due to FA in their children aged 1-to-12 months were compared with the healthy controls. The physician-diagnosed FA group was divided into IgE-, non-IgE-mediated, and infants with some minor symptoms which were not enough to make the diagnosis of FA were classified as Indecisive symptoms for FA group. Mothers completed standardized questionnaires including Symptom Checklist 90R, Beck Depression/Anxiety Inventories (BDI/BAI), Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (Bonding). Results: Of 179 mother and infants, 64 were healthy, 89 were FA, 16 were indecisive symptoms for FA. The mean age of the mothers and infants were 31.1 ± 4.7 years and 6.3 ± 3.6 months, respectively. The physician-diagnosed FA groups had higher scores for anxiety (p = .008), anger (p = .042), depression (p < .001), obsession (p = .002), phobia (p = .008), somatization (p = .002), general symptom index (GSI) (p = .001), BDI (p < .001), BAI (p = .008), and Bonding (attachment [p = .001], anger [p = .019], and total [p = .036]) than the healthy ones. The indecisive symptoms for FA group had a similar score pattern to physician-diagnosed FA, except interpersonal sensitivity, BDI, and attachment. Conclusion: Breastfeeding mothers of infants with FA were more anxious, with higher depression scores than controls, and had many psychopathologies which affected bonding. Interventions targeting negativity in caregivers' social relationships are urgently needed.Publication Metadata only Pupillary window to assess emotion-somatization connection: alexithymia, somatization and pupillary responses to affective stimuli(Elsevier, 2018) Burley, Daniel; Snowden, Robert J.; N/A; N/A; Department of Psychology; N/A; Department of Psychology; Kaçar, Anıl Şafak; İzgi, Büşra; Gülgöz, Sami; Eser, Hale Yapıcı; PhD Student; PhD Student; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; Graduate School of Health Sciences; Graduate School of Health Sciences; College of Social Sciences and Humanities; School of Medicine; N/A; N/A; 49200; 134359Publication Metadata only Effect of dietary elimination on psychosocial functioning status in breastfeeding mothers of infants with food allergy(Wiley, 2017) N/A; N/A; Kaçar, Anıl Şafak; Mutluer, Tuba; Kızılkan, Nuray Uslu; Taşkıran, Ali Sarper; Saçkesen, Cansın; PhD Student; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; Other; Faculty Member; Graduate School of Health Sciences; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; N/A; 305311; 221274; N/A; 182537N/APublication Metadata only Chronic stress has direct effect on difficulty in identifying emotions but the effect is indirect through depression(Elsevier, 2021) N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; İzgi, Büşra; Berberoğlu, İpek; Muhcu, Sevde Enfal; Aydın, Nuri Efe; Kaçar, Anıl Şafak; Eser, Hale Yapıcı; PhD Student; Undergraduate Student; Undergraduate Student; Undergraduate Student; PhD Student; Faculty Member; N/A; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; N/A; School of Medicine; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; 134359Introduction: Emotional recognition is the identification of basic facial emotions like anger, disgust, fear, and sadness; it is an innate ability that involves perceptual analytical function and emotional processing for both parties in an interaction. Mood disorders like major depression disorder (MDD) and schizophrenia are found to interfere with this process in various levels for various emotions. Knowing that negative experiences and adverse life events are significant precursors for such disorders, we aimed to test the possible relationship between one's own emotional processing and recognition of others' emotions and the level of stress in their life. Method: 125 college students without any known psychiatric disorder participated to our study (66% female, Mage=20.48∓ 1.84, 18-29). To measure the stress typology, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Chronic Stress Scale (CSS) were used. Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were also used as independent measures of stress. To measure emotional processing, Emotion Recognition (ER-40) task of PennCNB, which questioned the recognition of anger, fear, sadness, happiness, and neutral emotional expressions was used and Toronto Alexithymia Inventory (TAI) was also used as a self-report scale to measure awareness of one's own emotions. Results: There is no correlation between emotion recognition (ER-40 task) scores and stress scales. All stress measurements correlated positively with TAI scores (BAI: pc:0.40, p<0.001, BDI: pc:0.39, p<0.001, PSS: pc:0.29, p=0.001, CSS: pc:0.27, p=0.003). This significance emerged for CSS, PSS, BAI, and BDI (PC scores>0.34, p<0.001) from identifying emotions subdimensions (TAI_identify) and for PSS, BAI, and BDI (PC scores ≥0.28, p≤0.02) from discriminating emotions subdimensions. In linear regression analysis to predict scores in difficulties in identifying emotions sub dimension (TAI_identify), it was found that it is predicted by scores in CSS (p=0.003), when corrected for CTQ, age and gender. As depression can cause deficits in identifying emotions and it is correlated with chronic stress, the role of beck depression level as a mediator of CSS and TAI_identify was investigated by mediation analysis and the output model for the mediation effect of Beck depression level was built. Chronic stress influences TAI_identify scores indirectly through its effect on Beck Depression Inventory score (ab= 0.093, 95% bootstrap CI= 0.036 to 0.179). Chronic stress causes more depression, with greater depression level associated with difficulties identifying emotions (b=0.233, p=0.0001). There was no definitive evidence that chronic stress directly influenced difficulties in identifying emotions independent of BDI (c' =0.069, p=0.122, 95% bootstrap CI=-0.019 to 0.156). Conclusion: While chronic stress can affect one's identification of one's own emotions, it does not affect the recognition of others' emotions. Previous studies support the role of insula in interoceptive awareness and depression. The mediator role of stress on insula and Major depression disorder-Interoceptive awareness association may be studied in future studies.Publication Metadata only Lateralization of neurobiological response in adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder related to severe childhood sexual abuse: the tri-modal reaction (T-MR) model of protection(Taylor & Francis, 2018) Kose-Demiray, Cigdem; Arslan, Harun; Tamer, Sibel; Inal, Serap; N/A; Mutluer, Tuba; Kaçar, Anıl Şafak; Şar, Vedat; Faculty Member; PhD Student; Faculty Member; School of Medicine; Graduate School of Health Sciences; School of Medicine; 305311; N/A; 8542This study inquires into neurobiological response to stress and its clinical correlates among adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of cerebral anatomy were carried out on 23 female adolescents with PTSD related to severe childhood sexual abuse and 21 matched healthy controls. Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for Children and Adolescents, Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children, Beck Depression Scale, and a set of neuro-cognitive tests were administered to all participants. Compared to controls, PTSD group bilaterally had smaller amygdala, hippocampus, anterior cingulate, and thinner prefrontal cortex but normal thalamus. Further analyses within the PTSD group suggested an association between symptoms of PTSD and sizes of right brain structures including smaller amygdala but larger hippocampus and anterior cingulate. Thinner right prefrontal cortex and larger right thalamus seemed to be related to denial and response prevention, respectively. Being related to both hemispheres, dissociative amnesia was negatively associated with proportion of the right amygdala to right thalamus and to both left and right prefrontal cortex. Suggesting a neuro-protective effect against traumatic stress at least through adolescence, depersonalization-derealization and identity alteration were correlated with thicker left prefrontal cortex. Unlike the lateralization within PTSD group, correlations between regions of interest were rather symmetrical in controls. The graded response to stress seemed to be aimed at mental protection by lateralization of brain functions and possibly diminished connection between two hemispheres. A Tri-Modal Reaction (T-MR) Model of protection is proposed.Publication Metadata only Lifetime prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury in patients with eating disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis(Cambridge University Press (CUP), 2016) Cucchi, A.; Ryan, D.; Konstantakopoulos, G.; Stroumpa, S.; Renshaw, S.; Landau, S.; Kravariti, E; N/A; Kaçar, Anıl Şafak; PhD Student; Graduate School of Health Sciences; N/ABackground. Against a backdrop of increasing research, clinical and taxonomic attention in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), evidence suggests a link between NSSI and eating disorders (ED). The frequency estimates of NSSI in ED vary widely. Little is known about the sources of this variation, and no meta-analysis has quantified the association between ED and NSSI. Method. Using random-effects meta-analyses, meta-regression analyses, and 1816-6466 unique participants with various ED, we estimated the weighted average percentage of individuals with ED, those with anorexia nervosa (AN) and those with bulimia nervosa (BN) who are reported to have a lifetime history of NSSI across studies. We further examined predictors of NSSI in ED. Results. The weighted average percentage of patients with a lifetime history of NSSI was 27.3% [95% confidence interval (CI) 23.8-31.0%] for ED, 21.8% (95% CI 18.5-25.6%) for AN, and 32.7% (95% CI 26.9-39.1%) for BN. The difference between BN and AN was statistically significant [odds ratio (OR) 1.77, 95% CI 1.14-2.77, p = 0.013]. The odds of NSSI increased by 24% for every 10% increase in the percentage of participants with histories of suicide attempts (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.04-1.48, p = 0.020) and decreased by 26% for every 10% increase in the percentage of participants with histories of substance abuse (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.58-0.95, p = 0.023). Conclusions. In the specific context of ED, NSSI is highly prevalent and correlates positively with attempted suicide, urging for NSSI-focused treatments. A novel finding is that NSSI is potentially antagonized by substance abuse.Publication Metadata only Negative psychosocial effect of dietary elimination on breastfeeding mothers having infants with and without food allergy(Wiley-Blackwell, 2019) Can, Ceren; N/A; Kaçar, Anıl Şafak; Yılmaz, Özlem; Göğebakan, Emre; Necef, Işıl; Mutluer, Tuba; Kızılkan, Nuray Uslu; Taşkıran, Ali Sarper; Saçkesen, Cansın; PhD Student; Doctor; Undergraduate Student; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; Other; Faculty Member; Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM) / Koç Üniversitesi Translasyonel Tıp Araştırma Merkezi (KUTTAM); Graduate School of Health Sciences; N/A; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; School of Medicine; N/A; Koç University Hospital; N/A; Koç University Hospital; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; 305311; 221274; 195168; 182537Background: There has been no trial evaluating the psychopathology in breastfeeding mothers of infants with food allergy (FA). Objective: To investigate the effect of dietary elimination on maternal psychopathology, specifically stress/anxiety and mother-to-infant bonding and explore the importance of sociodemographic features on these variables. Methods: Breastfeeding mothers following an elimination diet due to FA in their children aged 1-to-12 months were compared with the healthy controls. Physician-diagnosed FA group were divided into IgE-, non-IgE-mediated and infants with some minor symptoms which were not enough to make the diagnosis of FA were classified as Indecisive symptoms for FA group. Mothers completed standardized questionnaires including Symptom Checklist 90R, Beck Depression/Anxiety Inventories (BDI/BAI), Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (Bonding). Results: Of 179 mother-infants, 64 were healthy, 89 were FA, 16 were indecisive symptoms for FA. The mean age of the mothers and infants were 31.1±4.7 years and 6.3±3.6 months. The physician diagnosed FA groups had higher scores for anxiety (p=0.008), anger (p=0.042), depression (p