PhD student Nasrettin Sönmez

My name is Nasrettin Sømez. I am clinical psychologist and specialist in clinical adult psychology. I am working at Voksenpsykiatrisk avdeling Vinderen, Diakonhjemmet sykehus at the moment. In the period august 2010 – august 2013 I was PhD student at the TIPS Competence Center for Early Intervention in Psychosis.

The title of my thesis is "Depressive symptoms and cognitive behavior therapy in first episode psychosis". The aims of my study were to explore the course and development of depressive symptoms in first episode psychosis (FEP) in short-term and long-term, and to present a cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) model for the treatment of depressive symptoms and other emotional disorders such as anxiety and low self-esteem in first episode psychosis. 

The studies have demonstrated that depressive symptoms are common in the first year of psychosis but they decrease after treatment. Patients with poor premorbid functioning in childhood and with long duration of untreated psychosis are more prone to have depressive symptoms one year after the first psychosis. Poor premorbid functioning in childhood and alcohol use predict depressive symptoms ten years after the first psychotic episode. Depressive symptoms should be identified and treated early in order to facilitate better prognosis of psychosis. Cognitive therapy with focus on depressive symptoms may be useful in the treatment of depression in first episode psychosis.