How Did the Journey of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Begin in Türkiye?

Abstract

Prof. Dr. Abdülkadir Çevik states that his interest in consultation-liaison psychiatry began during his residency while working in a psychosomatic clinic, and that his experiences in America allowed him to deeply understand the team-based and holistic approach of this field. After returning to Turkey, in his clinical and group work, he emphasizes that psychosocial interventions significantly increase treatment adherence and recovery; and that psychosomatic illnesses should be considered not only biologically, but also in conjunction with stress, personality, culture, and social context. According to Çevik, medicine should be evaluated within the context of mental and physical integrity; psychiatry is not outside of medicine, but at its center, and patients should be referred to psychiatry without stigmatization, conveying a message of holistic acceptance. Arguing that consultation-liaison psychiatry should be pursued not as a separate specialty, but as an approach encompassing all of medicine, Çevik states that the foundation of being a good psychiatrist lies in deeply understanding the developmental, cultural, and social dimensions of the individual.