Barış Sancak, MD

Barış Sancak, MD is a psychiatrist at Acibadem Atakent Hospital in İstanbul, where he practices within the Psychiatry & Psychology unit. He has more than 15 years in medicine, and his clinical work covers mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, personality disorders and sleep disorders, as well as psychological support for people living with cancer.

Dr. Sancak graduated from Gazi University Faculty of Medicine in 2011 and began his career the same year as a general practitioner at Tonya State Hospital. From 2013 to 2018 he trained as a psychiatry resident at Bakırköy Mental and Neurological Diseases Training and Research Hospital, completing his specialty training in Mental Health and Diseases in 2018 at Bakırköy Prof. Dr. Mazhar Osman Mental Health and Diseases Training and Research Hospital. He then worked as a psychiatry specialist at the same hospital in 2018, and from 2018 to 2020 at the Presidency of the Council of Forensic Medicine, Observation Specialization Department. He joined Acıbadem Healthcare Services in 2020. Dr. Sancak is a member of the Turkish Psychiatric Association and the Turkish Medical Association. His co-authored publications include a preliminary study of Covid-19 related anxiety levels in physicians, a study of factors affecting the choice of psychiatry as a specialty among Turkish psychiatry residents, a case report on genital self-mutilation in schizophrenia, and work on psychoactive substance use in male patients hospitalized in an acute psychosis clinic.

Clinical focus

A substantial part of Dr. Sancak’s practice involves the assessment and treatment of mood and anxiety conditions. This includes major depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He also sees patients with atypical psychosis and with personality disorders, including borderline personality disorder and dependent personality disorder.

Dr. Sancak’s areas of expertise further include autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia and psychological support in cancer. He also evaluates sleep disorders, including insomnia and sleep apnea. The approach to each of these conditions depends on the individual patient’s history, symptoms and circumstances, and treatment options are discussed with the patient after assessment.

How Dr. Sancak works with international patients

Dr. Sancak consults in Turkish and English, and interpreters can be arranged for patients who speak other languages. Before a visit, the Acibadem international patient team coordinates the collection of prior reports, such as earlier psychiatric or medical assessments, laboratory results, discharge summaries and any relevant imaging reports, and arranges appointments and the hospital visit. A first consultation typically covers the patient’s history and current symptoms, a review of previous treatments and existing reports, a clinical examination and a discussion of the options that may be appropriate. Video consultation is available for international patients who wish to speak with Dr. Sancak before deciding whether to travel or as part of follow-up.