Treatment of schizophrenia in adults Doctors in Turkey — Page 2

Prof. Dr. Vehbi Alp Üçok is a psychiatrist who focuses on schizophrenia and mood disorders. He graduated from the Hacettepe Faculty of Medicine in 1985. He started his psychiatry residency at the Istanbul Faculty of Medicine in 1988. He became a specialist in 1993, an associate professor in 1995, and a professor in 2001.

He founded the Psychotic Disorders Research Program (PAP) at the Istanbul Faculty of Medicine in 1996. After psychosocial skills training at UCLA and the Brentwood VA in 1998, he set up inpatient and outpatient group therapy for psychosis. He also provided individual, family, and group psychotherapy.

His research covers first-episode and later schizophrenia, people at risk for psychosis, treatment-resistant schizophrenia, and stigma. He helped start the WPA schizophrenia anti-stigma program in Türkiye in 1998 and has been the Turkey coordinator since 2001. He is a member of the WPA Schizophrenia and Stigma sections, the European Psychiatric Association Schizophrenia Section, TRRIP, STRATA, and EURONES. He has 126 international articles and more than 5,000 citations (as of 14.11.2014). His Web of Science h-index is 35.

Dr. Erhan Yuksek graduated from Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa Faculty of Medicine and completed his specialty training there. He uses evidence-based psychopharmacology to treat addiction, anxiety disorders, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and ADHD. He often combines medication with psychotherapy to improve outcomes.

He tailors medication plans to each patient’s biological, psychological, and environmental factors. He closely monitors side effects, treatment response, and long-term progress. He also offers ECT, TMS, and VR therapy. He integrates CBT and other psychotherapy methods to help restore function and improve quality of life.

Dr Haluk Aksu trained at Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine and specialises in psychopharmacological management for complex mental health disorders.

• Completed specialist residency at Bakirkoy Prof Dr Mazhar Osman Hospital – Turkey's largest and most famous psychiatric research centre
• Expert in combining psychopharmacology with structured cognitive and behavioural therapies
• Highly skilled in schema therapy and EMDR for patients with concurrent trauma
• Focuses on pharmacological stability to improve daily functioning and social reintegration

Professor Ahmet Levent Mete specialises in complex psychiatric care at Medicalpoint International Hospital, focusing on personalised treatment plans for severe mental health conditions.

• Trained at Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine – one of Turkey's highest-ranking medical schools
• Gained specialist clinical experience at Ege University Faculty of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry
• Expertise covers a broad range of psychopathology including dissociative and personality disorders
• Focuses on managing adult schizophrenia through detailed diagnostic assessment and evidence-based medicine

Dr Suleyman Oflu has completed over 1,100 psychiatric treatments, focusing on medication management and support for patients with schizophrenia.

• Practices at Private Yüzyıl Hospital with a focus on adult psychiatric disorders
• Held a long-term senior role at Hitit University Erol Olçok Training and Research Hospital
• Expertise includes managing schizophrenia alongside complex comorbid personality disorders
• Completed medical training at Trabzon and Osmangazi Universities
• Provides care for a broad range of related conditions including bipolar and addiction

Professor Karaca completed his specialist training at the Bakirkoy Mental and Neurological Disorders Hospital, Turkey's most established centre for clinical psychiatry.

• Practises as a senior psychiatrist at the JCI-accredited Emsey Hospital
• Focuses on pharmacological management of chronic psychiatric conditions
• Trained at a major research hospital specialising in complex neurological disorders
• Expertise includes diagnosing and managing adult psychiatric care pathways

Professor Nurper Erberk Ozen is the former Head of Psychiatry at Kirikkale University and a senior specialist at Medicana International Ankara Hospital.

• Specialises in treating schizophrenia and complex adult mental health disorders
• Completed advanced psychiatric training at the Gazi University School of Medicine
• Conducted research at the Hacettepe University Institute of Neurological Sciences and Psychiatry
• Focuses on pharmacological management and evidence-based care protocols
• Expertise extends to adolescent and old-age mental health challenges