DISCOURSE OF EMOTIONS IN THE COLUMNS IN THE INTERNET MEDIA IN THE PERIOD BEFORE THE REFERENDUM ON CHANGING THE CONSTITUTIONAL NAME OF REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

On 17 June 2018, the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece signed the Prespa Agreement that closed the long-standing dispute about the name of the Republic of Macedonia. The government then decided to hold a consultative referendum, and the campaign, although unofficial, has already begun. By September 30th, when the referendum was scheduled in the media, numerous personalities appeared: journalists, professors, writers, civil activists, experts from various fields, as well as holders of political functions in the role of columnists, called by the media to say their opinion and position on the change of the constitutional name of their country. The survey is an attempt to see who people were signed on the texts entitled as columns in the period from the signing of the Prespa Agreement to the day of the referendum vote in electronic versions of newspapers, as well as internet portals /information websites; from which sphere of professional life they come; by which dynamic their texts appear; and with which discourse of emotion they try to influence the opinion of the audience. The analysis showed that readers of internet portals witnessed a large number of expert opinions in the research period, and most of them were with negative emotional charge, so there is a dilemma about the loss of the value of the column and its potential positive benefits in making such important decisions for a nation, such as the change of the state name

CITIZENS ’PERCEPTION OF THE ADEQUACY OF THE INSTITUTIONS’ ACTIVITIES IN TERMS OF MENTAL HEALTH PROTECTION REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGES

Studies have shown that, people suffer from the effects of climate change. Theconsequences of natural disasters include shock reactions, post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD), depression, anxiety, phobic disordersand suicidal behavior. In addition to poorharvests and economic losses, changes in the natural environment cause a grief and sorrowdue to the loss of important places and landscapes.Every human being is affected by theconsequences of climate change, especially since climate change is at a stage when a “redcode” for humanity is included. Some categories of people are more vulnerable to the potentialimpacts of climate change. They are: children, elderly, chronically ill, people with cognitiveimpairments, limited mobility, pregnant women, people with mental health disorders, withlower socioeconomic status, migrants, refugees, the homeless.In Macedonia in 2021 a surveywas conducted on the impact of the effects of climate change on mental health. Data showedthat although most respondents know what climate change is and consider it a moderate riskin society, almost all respondents said that they cause some of the negative emotions suchas depression, despair, hopelessness, fear and powerlessness. Most of the respondents eitherdo not know what the relevant Macedonian institutions are doing to prevent and mitigatethe consequences of climate change or they think that the Macedonian society is not takingmeasures in that direction.Given the importance of preventing the mental health of thepopulation, we hope that the findings of this research would be useful in creating state policiesand strategies for tackling climate change

THE CHALLENGES OF JOURNALISM IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has led to serious changes in the lives of citizens. In a time of restricted mobility, people had to rely on media news and information to help them understand the COVID-19 crisis, hear the latest information on the extent of the spread of the disease, and learn how they can protect themselves and their families. In conditions when the media become a single window to reality and events, the role of journalists is especially important, as in any crisis situation. Hence the research interest is on difficulties faced by journalists in carrying out their mission. The research question was defined as: “What are the challenges of journalism in the Republic of Macedonia during the pandemic? What did journalists actually face in the process of providing timely information to the public?” The definition of the research problem was aimed at examining how the pandemic affected journalism in terms of the safety of journalists' physical and mental health, changing working conditions, use of information sources, exposure to pressures and influences from various factors and / or institutions. The ongoing research aims to test the assumptions that journalists and media professionals in the country work in unpredictable, stressful and difficult conditions related to their physical and mental health, amid increased pressure from state authorities in the pandemic reporting process, as well as an increasing amount of misinformation, fake news and hate speech. Keywords: journalism, media, pandemic with COVID-19, Republic of Macedoni

VISUAL HEALTH COMMUNICATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE CASE OF THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

The world has faced several pandemics in its existence, but the COVID-19 pandemic has opened up new aspects, making it a good introduction to what could be explored in the field of visual health communication in times of global crisis when it matters most for the message to reach as many people as possible in as short a period as possible, and for as many people as possible to understand it. The initial analysis conducted in ISPJR showed that the official source/medium of information related to the conditions and measures regarding the COVID-19 pandemic was the official Facebook page of Minister of Health of Republic of Macedonia, and the digital posters worked as a tool for persuading citizens to behave responsibly. The sample consisted of digital posters that were posted from March 2020, and by the end of the year, a total of 113. As this research showed, the digital poster campaign focused on promoting disease prevention among the general population, as much as 93% of digital poster messages refer to this goal – what citizens can do to protect themselves and others from the coronavirus.Answering the main research question of how the relevant official (domestic) institutions shape the message that aims to motivate the population to comply with their recommendations, it can be summarized that in Republic of Macedonia, through Facebook, on the official page of the then Minister of Health an incompletely properly prepared communication campaign and an incompletely defined communication strategy were conducted

WAR, INVASION OR (MILITARY) INTERVENTION? – SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE REALITY OF THE RUSSIAN ATTACK ON UKRAINE IN THE MACEDONIAN LANGUAGE MEDIA

Social construction refers to the meaning, concept or connotation given to an object orevent by society and adopted by members of society in relation to how they view or deal witha particular phenomenon or event. The media are one of the main social actors – participantsin that process of social construction of reality, and language and culture are the frameworksthrough which people experience, communicate and understand reality.On February 24,2022, Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine, and the media everywhere, even inMacedonia, was flooded with information about the events. The media are almost the onlysources of information about this event, so it is very important to analyze how the mediareported, especially in the early days, when people were trying to understand what washappening in Ukraine, what kind of event it was and what consequences they should preparefor in the future.This research will analyze the texts in the Macedonian language media inthe first days, found in the Internet space with search keywords: Russia, Ukraine, invasion,war, intervention, Putin, Zelenski. The main research question is: “How the media (in theMacedonian language) in Macedonia constructed the social reality for the events in Ukraine”,so the focus of the analysis will be the main topics related to this event, the parties andactorsinvolved in the event, the type and credibility of the sources used. An attempt willbe made to predict what reactions the information they read and hear on a daily basis willprovoke in people

Mental Health, Physical Health and Other Individual Risk Factors for Elder Maltreatment: Findings from the National Study

OBJECTIVES: The first Macedonian National Prevalence study of elder maltreatment in private settings was conducted in 2011 and 2012. This article provides an overview of the risk factors on individual level regarding the ecological model of human development.METHOD: The study involved 960 respondents who provided answers to a face-to-face survey questionnaire and a Geriatric Depression Scale.  The Mini-Mental State Examination test was used as a pre selection criterion. The achieved sample was weighted to be representative on the Macedonian population aged 65 and over.  RESULTS: Being women, being married, with elementary school education, suffering from certain chronic diseases, sensory impairment, are potential risk factors on individual level for elderly Maltreatment.CONCLUSION: The findings support the previous quantitative data obtained in other countries, as well as the concept of ecological framework

Relationships and Community Risk Factors for Elder Abuse and Neglect: Findings from the First National Prevalence Study on Elder Maltreatment

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to mesaure the 12-months prevalence of elder abuse and neglect in private huousehold and to examine the relationship and community level risk factors for elder abuse and neglect.METHOD: Total of 960 respondents aged 65 years and above in private households, from all eight statistical regions participated in the study.  Nationally stratified quota sampling procedure was applied, through four stages. Information was collected in face-to face interview on socio-demographic, healthy life style, physical and mental health, and abuse and neglect types characteristics of elder population. Data were examined using descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, and odd ratios (OR). Statistical significance was set up at p < 0.05.RESULTS: The respondents reported prevalence of psychological abuse 25.7%, followed by financial abuse 12 %, neglect 6.6%, physical abuse 5.7%, physical injury 3.1%, and sexual abuse 1.3% (reported only in female respondents) in the previous 12-months. Living with close relatives, dissatisfaction with the household income, less equipped households, lacking property of house/flat are associated risk factors for elder maltreatment on relationship level. Living in the northeast, southeast, and Polog region are associated risk for elder maltreatment.CONCLUSION: Study findings emphasised the previous data obtained with regards to the community and relationships risk factors for elder maltreatment

Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect: Findings from First Macedonian Study

OBJECTIVES: One of the study objectives was to explore the prevalence of elder abuse and neglect in the country.METHOD: Total of 960 respondents aged 65 years and above (44.7% of male and 55.3%) in private households, from all eight statistical regions participated in the study. Respondents were sampled through three staged national representative sampling procedure. Data were collected using a cognitively validated questionnaire for investigating elder abuse and neglect (psychological abuse, physical abuse, physical injury; financial abuse; sexual abuse and neglect) and Geriatric Depression Scale. The MMSE test was used as a pre-selection method. Statistical significance was set up at p < 0.05.RESULTS: Three hundred seven (32.0%) respondents reported experience of any type of abuse and neglect.  A single form of abuse was reported by 56.4% of participants, and two types of abuse by 27.4% of participants reporting abuse. Data showed that psychological abuse was the most prevalent form of abuse (25.7%), followed by financial abuse (12.0%), physical abuse (5.7%), physical injury (3.1%) and sexual abuse, and reported only by females (1.3%). Some type of neglect was reported by 6.5% of respondents.CONCLUSIONS: Defining the phenomenon of elder abuse and neglect in the context of our country can facilitate support of abused older people and, most importantly, may help develop policy and programmes based on evidence-based practices, targeting prevention and response

Happiness around the world: A combined etic-emic approach across 63 countries.

What does it mean to be happy? The vast majority of cross-cultural studies on happiness have employed a Western-origin, or "WEIRD" measure of happiness that conceptualizes it as a self-centered (or "independent"), high-arousal emotion. However, research from Eastern cultures, particularly Japan, conceptualizes happiness as including an interpersonal aspect emphasizing harmony and connectedness to others. Following a combined emic-etic approach (Cheung, van de Vijver & Leong, 2011), we assessed the cross-cultural applicability of a measure of independent happiness developed in the US (Subjective Happiness Scale; Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999) and a measure of interdependent happiness developed in Japan (Interdependent Happiness Scale; Hitokoto & Uchida, 2015), with data from 63 countries representing 7 sociocultural regions. Results indicate that the schema of independent happiness was more coherent in more WEIRD countries. In contrast, the coherence of interdependent happiness was unrelated to a country's "WEIRD-ness." Reliabilities of both happiness measures were lowest in African and Middle Eastern countries, suggesting these two conceptualizations of happiness may not be globally comprehensive. Overall, while the two measures had many similar correlates and properties, the self-focused concept of independent happiness is "WEIRD-er" than interdependent happiness, suggesting cross-cultural researchers should attend to both conceptualizations

The relationship between personality dimensions and problematic Internet use in children aged 11 to 14 years

Problematické užívání internetu (problematic Internet use) je definováno jako neschopnost regulovat vlastní užívání internetu. Tato závislost může mít negativní vliv na duševní i fyzické zdraví i na kvalitu života. Zmíněný fenomén je spojen s technologickým pokrokem a stal se celosvětovým problémem. Projevuje se omezenou kontrolou chování ve vztahu k přístupu k a užívání internetu, online hazardním hrám, online hrám apod. Děti a mládež jsou obzvláště náchylní k tomuto typu závislosti. Výzkum ukázal několik rizikových faktorů, jedním z nichž jsou osobnostní charakteristiky. Cílem předkládané studie je prozkoumat vztah mezi charakteristikami osobnosti definovanými podle Velké Pětky (pětifaktorový model osobnosti) a problematickým užíváním internetu a to, které z charakteristik mohou být považovány za rizikové a které za ochranné faktory. Data byla sbírána za účelem standardizace a kulturní adaptace psychologického měřícího nástroje pro děti. Výsledky této studie jsou založeny na analýze dat od 102 respondentů z reprezentativního vzorku žáků základních škol ve věku 11 až 14 let. Výzkum dále pokračuje a další data jsou sbírána. Problematické užívání internetu bylo zkoumáno pomocí krátké verze dotazníku problematického užívání internetu pro mládež (PIUQ-9; Demetrovics, Szeredi, & Rózsa, 2008), která má devět položek. Plná verze instrumentu je založena na 18 položkách. Využita je pětistupňová Likertova škála; minimální skóre ve zkrácené verzi je 9, maximální 45. Instrument má tři sub-škály o třech položkách: škála obsese (abstinenční symptomy při nedostatečném přístupu k internetu), škála zanedbávání potřeb (zanedbávání osobních potřeb a každodenních činností), škála poruchy kontroly (nedostatek kontroly ve spojení s užíváním Internetu). Pětifaktorový osobnostní inventář pro děti (BFQ-C; Barbaranelli et al., 2003) se zaměřil na osobnostní charakteristiky. Nástroj obsahuje 65 položek s pětistupňovou Likertovou škálou. 13 položek se zaměřuje na každou z následujících oblastí: otevřenost vůči zkušenostem / intelekt, svědomitost, extraverze/energie, přívětivost, neuroticismus. Zjištění makedonské studie naznačují faktory relevantní pro rozvoj problematického užívání internetu – čtyři osobnostní charakteristiky lze považovat za ochranné faktory (extraverze, otevřenost vůči zkušenosti, přívětivost a svědomitost) a jeden za rizikový faktor (neuroticismus).Problematic Internet Use (PIU) is defined as a person’s inability to self-regulate Internet usage. This addiction can have a negative influence on mental and physical health, as well as on quality of life. This phenomenon of PIU has arisen as a result of technological development and has become a worldwide issue. As a form of addictive behaviour, PIU manifests itself through poorly controlled behaviour concerning computer use, Internet access, online gambling, gaming, etc., which leads to distress. Children and young people are particularly susceptible to this type of addiction. Relevant research in the field has identified several risk factors that may influence the occurrence of this type of addiction. Personality traits may be one of the risk factors. The aim of this study is to explore the interconnection between personality traits based on the Five-Factor Personality Model (FFM) and problematic Internet use and to explore which personality traits may be protective and which may be considered risk factors. Research data were collected for the purpose of standardization and cultural adaptation of psychological instruments for children. The research is based on an extracted number of 102 respondents from a representative sample of primary school students aged 11 to 14 years. Research is ongoing, and partial data is presented in this paper. Problematic Internet usage was measured with the short version of the Youth Version of the Problematic Internet Use Questionnaire, which includes 9 questions (PIUQ-9). The full version of this instrument has 18 questions. This scale is on 5-point Likert scale, with a minimum total score 9 and a maximum of 45. It was developed by Demetrovics, Szeredi, & Rózsa (2008). This scale has three subscales: obsession, neglect, and control disorder. The Big Five Questionnaire for children (BFQ-C) has been used for measuring personality traits. This instrument was developed by Barbaranelli et al. (2003). This is a 65-item questionnaire, 5-point Likert scale with 13 items related to each of the five dimensions of openness/intellect, conscientiousness, extraversion/energy, agreeableness, neuroticism (OCEAN).Findings from this Macedonian study identify the relevant influence of personality traits on problematic Internet usage (PIU). Four personality traits can be considered as protective factors (extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness), and one (emotional instability) as a risk Factor for problematic usage of the Internet