Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “Psychiatric history and clinical condition should be examined first”

President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, made evaluations on CNN Türk live broadcast regarding the harassment incidents that have recently occurred in Istanbul and caused a widespread public outcry. Emphasizing that it would not be correct to make a psychiatric diagnosis without examining the person, Tarhan discussed the impact of mood disorders and personality disorders on behavior and criminal sanctions, in light of general psychiatric knowledge.  

President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, was a live broadcast guest on the program 'Neler Oluyor?' presented by Göksu Öngören Özgür, broadcast on CNNTÜRK. 

In the program, which addressed images of a woman harassing men in their workplaces at different locations in Istanbul recently, Tarhan explained the behavioral changes that can be observed in individuals experiencing mood disorders.

“Their emotional reasoning is impaired by the illness”

Tarhan; “Among our patients with mood disorders, there can be individuals experiencing such legal problems. In these individuals who cannot manage their emotions, a condition previously called manic-depressive disorder and now defined as bipolar disorder in new terminology may be present. During the illness, emotional reasoning is impaired in these individuals. Humans decide whether an action is right or wrong, appropriate or not, valid or not, with the frontal region of the brain. When the chemical communication in that region is disrupted, these behaviors emerge. If this person were elderly, bipolar disorder could evolve into a condition called frontal dementia. That is, conditions that can be evaluated as a type of dementia, like a type of Alzheimer's, can emerge. This is one of the situations we encounter in these diseases.” he said.

“Psychiatric history and clinical condition should be examined first!” 

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that for a healthy evaluation of any individual, their psychiatric history and clinical condition must first be examined.

Tarhan; “It is not correct to make a comment without examining that person, but we can make a general evaluation based on this. It is necessary to look at this person's background and examine whether they have received psychiatric treatment. In such cases, clinical treatment is required without delay. Because this is a behavior of harming oneself and others. It is also a behavior that disrupts public order. This picture may also be related to bipolar disorder.” he stated.

“Borderline personalities do it skillfully…”

Tarhan pointed out that such behaviors may be related not only to bipolar disorder but also to certain personality disorders. Tarhan; “There is borderline personality disorder. If this person has not been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the past, it could be borderline personality disorder or antisocial personality disorder. Individuals with borderline personality disorder do not perform such behaviors very openly; they act more skillfully. They set traps almost like hunters. However, the behavior here appears to be done randomly, without calculating the consequences of the action. It is carried out openly in public. If it were someone with borderline personality disorder, they would first sit down, talk, have tea or coffee, offer something, and exhibit a different approach. Here, however, the person appears unable to properly reason that their action is a crime.” he said.

“There are two options”

Tarhan stated that different psychiatric possibilities should be evaluated together in such incidents and that a definitive conclusion can only be reached through detailed examination.

Answering journalists' questions on the live broadcast, Tarhan said; “There are two options. The first is a personality disorder. It could be antisocial or borderline personality disorder. Sometimes, such behaviors can also be observed in individuals with a histrionic personality structure. Antisocial personality traits are more prominent in men, while histrionic personality traits can come to the forefront in women. These individuals try to attract attention by exaggerating certain things. There are also those who engage in such behaviors to attract attention without sexual behavior. They satisfy their egos and nourish themselves in this way. On the other hand, if this situation is related to bipolar disorder, the person can carry out such an incident without planning or calculating. However, it must definitely be evaluated whether the person did this intentionally or not. Additionally, it is necessary to check whether they have used medication before.” he stated.