Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Emin Önder, founder of PsikeArt magazine, was a guest on the Turkey Haber Portalı & Gülbin Vardar’la Biz Bize Özel Programı. He discussed the journey to the magazine’s 100th issue, shared important assessments on mental health in Turkey, and talked about new projects.

In the interview held at his office in Nişantaşı, Istanbul, Prof. Dr. Emin Önder answered questions from host Gülbin Vardar. He spoke about PsikeArt’s 16-year adventure and this unique publishing model, which is a first in the world.

“The 100-Issue Journey Didn’t Happen Overnight”

Önder emphasized that reaching the 100th issue was the result of long-term effort and reader support. He stated, “This was a process that began with an idea in 2008 to create a popular magazine aimed at raising people’s awareness. Being a thematic magazine that deeply explores one topic per issue was the main factor that made it long-lasting.” Önder noted that the experience from their previous scientific publication, “3P Journal,” also laid the foundation for this accumulation.

The Most Popular Topic: “Forgiveness”

Önder stated that over 16 years, they tackled dozens of sensitive and important topics like passion, jealousy, stigma, narcissism, suicide, evil, and sexuality. He revealed that the issue that received the most interest from readers was “Forgiveness.” Önder said, “The most important element that can prevent emotions like anger and rage we experience in daily life from becoming long-term is a person’s ability to be forgiving. Forgiveness makes it easier for a person to relax and hold on to life.”

“PsikeArt is a First in the World”

Prof. Dr. Önder defined PsikeArt as a magazine that “combines psychology/psychiatry with art, is thematic and awareness-focused.” He said that during his research abroad, he did not encounter a similar magazine model, making PsikeArt a first in Turkey and the world. Sharing their goal to globalize this unique model, Önder announced, “Next year, starting in January, we will try to reach the world by publishing an English version of PsikeArt.”

Challenges in Publishing and Balance

Önder stated that the biggest challenge in PsikeArt’s 16-year journey was economic, as the magazine always tried to stay afloat solely with reader support without any advertising revenue. He expressed that they never faced pressure like censorship because they adopted a publication line that benefits people and stays outside of politics and politicking.

The Balanced Bridge Between Art and Psychiatry

Responding to a question about art being liberating and psychiatry potentially being restrictive, Önder said, “Both are about humanity. Art liberates people through creativity. Psychiatry is only restrictive regarding unhealthy emotions and behaviors; apart from that, it actually liberates people by increasing their awareness. PsikeArt builds a bridge between these two.”

Psika Cinema and a Perspective on Turkish Cinema

Mentioning their other publication under the same roof, Psika Sinema Dergisi (Psika Cinema Magazine), Önder discussed the relationship between cinema and psychology, philosophy, and sociology. He noted that Turkish cinema has recently started to reflect these themes more with films featuring character analyses and depictions of human conditions, and he views this development positively.

“Mental Health is Not as Much of a Taboo Anymore”

Önder stated that he believes mental health is not as much of a taboo in Turkey as it used to be. He assessed, “Stigmatization was very common in the past. But now, when people feel unhappy, they seek solutions and are more open to getting professional help rather than being labeled. Developments in neuroscience, showing that illnesses are brain-based, are also helping to break these false beliefs.”

Call to Youth and New Projects

Önder’s advice to a young psychiatrist or artist is: “The more diversity there is in this field, the more people’s awareness increases. Supporting them is our duty.” He explained his recent projects as follows:
“Starting from October, we will organize events in Izmir, Ankara, and Istanbul to share PsikeArt’s 100-issue journey and different topics face-to-face with our readers.”

You can watch the full program on the Turkey Haber Portalı and Gülbin Vardar’la Biz Bize YouTube channel.