A psychiatric disorder would be associated with extensive, unsightly lesions on exposed body parts. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has long been endemic in Sanliurfa and is called 'beauty scar'. The aim of this study was to determine psychological impact of CL. Patients with active CL, with CL that had healed with scaring, and healthy controls were included in this case-control study. The Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HAD), Body Image Satisfaction Scale (BIS), and Dermatology Quality of Life Scale (DQL) assessments were performed to determine the psychological effect of CL. The patients with CL had significantly higher HAD anxiety and depression subscale scores than the control groups. Patients with CL have decreased body satisfaction and lower quality of life than those in the control group. It was found that CL patients with active lesions have the lowest quality of life score than other groups. CL lesions on exposed body parts such as the face and hands, active CL for more than 1 year, permanent scar formation, and social stigmatization cause anxiety, depressive symptoms, decreased body satisfaction and quality of life in CL patients.

People with schizophrenia are amongst the most stigmatized of those with mental illnesses. The purpose of this study was to examine whether an antistigma program which consists of education, contact, and viewing a film that depicts an individual with schizophrenia, can change attitudes towards people with schizophrenia. The antistigma program was carried out with first-year medical students ( n = 25). Students' attitudes towards people with schizophrenia were assessed before and after the program. In parallel, a control group of first-year medical students were questioned ( n = 35). Assessment was repeated after 1 month. Favorable attitudinal changes were observed in terms of 'belief about the etiology of schizophrenia', 'social distance to people with schizophrenia', and 'care and management of people with schizophrenia'. In contrast, no significant change was observed in the control group. Attitude changes tended to decrease at the 1-month follow up. These results suggest that attitudes towards schizophrenia could be changed favorably with this program. To sustain changed attitudes towards people with schizophrenia, antistigma programs should be offered on a regular basis.

The patients with major depression are exposed to oxidative stress, and OSI may be useful to reflect the severity of the disease.

No abstract

A number of essential trace elements play a major role in various metabolic pathways. Selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) are essential trace elements that have been studied in many diseases, including autoimmune, neurological, and psychiatric disorders. However, the findings of previous research on the status of trace elements in patients with schizophrenia have been controversial. We studied these elements in patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia and compared them with sex- and age-matched healthy controls. Plasma Cu concentrations were significantly higher (p < 0.01) and Mn and Fe concentrations were lower (p < 0.05 and p < 0.05, respectively) in schizophrenic patients than in controls. Se and Zn concentrations and protein levels did not differ between patients and healthy controls. These observations suggest that alterations in essential trace elements Mn, Cu, and Fe may play a role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. However, findings from trace element levels in schizophrenia show a variety of results that are difficult to interpret.

No abstract

The reciprocal regulation of arginase and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in L-arginine-metabolizing pathways has been demonstrated. There are various evidences of the role of the nitric oxide (NO) in several neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. However, there is no study which has investigated the role of arginase as an important part of the arginine regulatory system affecting NOS activity in schizophrenia. This study aims to investigate arginase, manganese (Mn) and total nitrite levels (a metabolite of NO) and their relationship to the arginine-NO pathway in patients with schizophrenia. Arginase activities, Mn and total nitrite levels were measured in plasma from 46 patients with schizophrenia and 32 healthy control subjects. Plasma arginase activities and Mn were found to be significantly lower and total nitrite level higher in patients with schizophrenia compared with controls. Our results suggest that the arginine-NO pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

The instrument provides valid and reliable assessments of QOL in Turkish patients with skin disease.