STRESS LEVEL AND BURN-OUT AMONG PRIZREN MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Work stress as well as burnout have been found in different occupations at different levels. Maslach Burnout Inventory Questionnaires and Self-Report Form of Job Satisfaction were used to investigate the level of stress and burn-out in mental health professionals in Prizren and at the same time their possible causes of stress and burn-out. Participants in the research were (N = 24, Mage = 41.19, SD = 8.03), respondents of both sexes, dominated by female respondents with 16 respondents or 66.7%. High stress level resulted in 66.7% of the sample; emotional exhaustion at 16.7%; depersonalization at 37.5%and 100% resulted in a low level of personal accomplishement. Inadequate payment, lack of security / threats, physical conditions of work, lack of respect by the supervisor (s), lack of gratitude from others for the work done, good rapport with work colleagues etc. are found to be factors with higher levels of stress.This research will contribute, both theoretically and practically, by raising awareness of health institutions in the process of their function, maintaining the health of employees and to improve the quality of services, as well as being useful to managers and leaders of these institutions to identify the impact of stressors on their employees

The impact of social networks on representation of depression in high school students

Adolescents experience depression in a very similar way to adults, but they can experience their emotions more intensely and with greater instability. Depression in adolescence comes at a time of great personal change - when boys and girls start forming a distinct identity from their parents, they encounter gender and sexuality issues, and begin to make decisions for the first time in their lives. Research shows that online social networks have recently started to get a greater increase in usage among elementary and high school students. They spend a considerable amount of time on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and so on, turning them into a daily activitiy in their lives and then starting to exhibit classic symptoms of depression. In order to research the level of depression in “Gjon Buzuku”high school studentsin Prizren, we used Beck\u27s for Depression (Beck\u27s Depression Inventory) as well as the self-report form for the use of social networks. Participants in the research were (N = 47, participants, M mean = 16.7, DS = standard deviation DS = 12.07, respondents of both sexes, where female gender dominated with 27 respondents or 57.45%). For participants\u27 depression the overall score was interpreted as follows: 3% of participants resulted in minimal depression, 40% of participants resulted in mild depression, 49% of participants resulted in moderate depression and 8% in severe depression . This research will contribute both theoretically and practically by raising the awareness of educational institutions in the process of their functioning and in preserving the health of students to increase the quality of teaching. The results of this scientific research can be used for analyzing similar situations in other school institutions in both public and private institutions

Prevalence of Perceived Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in HCW in Kosovo during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey

A pandemic may have a negative impact on healthcare workers’ (HCW) mental health. In this cross-sectional study, we assess the self-reported prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression and identify their predictive factors among HCW in Kosovo. The online questionnaire collected data on socio-demographics (sex, age, occupation, education, workplace) and the presence and severity of depression, anxiety, and stress through the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, t-test, and linear logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Of the 545 respondents, the majority were male (53.0%), under 60 years of age (94.7%), and married (81.7%). Most of them were physicians (78.2%), while the remaining were nurses, midwives, and other health professionals (22%). Prevalence rates for moderate to extremely high stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were 21.9%, 13.0%, and 13.9%, respectively. The nurses reported significantly higher mean scores for depression and anxiety than the physicians (p < 0.05). Being married, having poor health, not exercising, and reporting “burnout” from work significantly predicted higher levels of depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms among health workers (p < 0.05). Most HCWs (71.6%) reported a mild, moderate, or severe mental health burden, and certain factors predicted higher levels of such burden

Study protocol: a prospective cohort on non-communicable diseases among primary healthcare users living in Kosovo (KOSCO)

Introduction With the lowest life expectancy in the Balkans, underlying causes of morbidity in Kosovo remain unclear due to limited epidemiological evidence. The goal of this cohort is to contribute epidemiological evidence for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases such as depression, hypertension, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease in Kosovo as the basis for policy and decision-making, with a spotlight on the relationships between non-experimental primary healthcare (PHC) interventions and lifestyle changes as well as between depression and the course of blood pressure.Methods and analysis PHC users aged 40 years and above were recruited consecutively between March and October 2019 from 12 main family medicine centres across Kosovo. The data collected through interviews and health examinations included: sociodemographic characteristics, social and environmental factors, comorbidities, health system, lifestyle, psychological factors and clinical attributes (blood pressure, height, weight, waist/hip/neck circumferences, peak expiratory flow and HbA1c measurements). Cohort data were collected annually in two phases, approximately 6 months apart, with an expected total follow-up time of 5 years.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approvals were obtained from the Ethics Committee Northwest and Central Switzerland (Ref. 2018-00994) and the Kosovo Doctors Chamber (Ref. 11/2019). Cohort results will provide novel epidemiological evidence on non-communicable diseases in Kosovo, which will be published in scientific journals. The study will also examine the health needs of the people of Kosovo and provide evidence for health sector decision-makers to improve service responsiveness, which will be shared with stakeholders through reports and presentations

Non-pharmacological interventions for schizophrenia—analysis of treatment guidelines and implementation in 12 Southeast European countries

This study aimed to analyze treatment guidelines of 12 SEE countries to identify non-pharmacological interventions recommended for schizophrenia, explore the evidence base supporting recommendations, and assess the implementation of recommended interventions. Desk and content analysis were employed to analyze the guidelines. Experts were surveyed across the 12 countries to assess availability of non-pharmacological treatments in leading mental health institutions, staff training, and inclusion in the official service price list. Most SEE countries have published treatment guidelines for schizophrenia focused on pharmacotherapy. Nine countries-Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia-included non-pharmacological interventions. The remaining three countries-Kosovo (UN Resolution), Romania, and Slovenia-have not published such treatment guidelines, however they are on offer in leading institutions. The median number of recommended interventions was seven (range 5-11). Family therapy and psychoeducation were recommended in most treatment guidelines. The majority of recommended interventions have a negative or mixed randomized controlled trial evidence base. A small proportion of leading mental health institutions includes these interventions in their official service price list. The interventions recommended in the treatment guidelines seem to be rarely implemented within mental health services in the SEE countries

Non-pharmacological treatments for schizophrenia in Southeast Europe: An expert survey

Background: Non-pharmacological treatment for schizophrenia includes educational, psychotherapeutic, social, and physical interventions. Despite growing importance of these interventions in the holistic treatment of individuals with schizophrenia, very little is known about their availability in South-East European countries (SEE). Objective: To explore mental health care experts’ opinions of the availability of non-pharmacological treatment for people with schizophrenia in SEE. Methods: An online survey containing 11 questions was completed by one mental health expert from each of the following SEE countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo(dagger), Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Data were collected on estimated rates of received non-pharmacological interventions, type of services delivering these interventions, and expert views of availability barriers. Results: In eight countries, the estimated percentage of people with schizophrenia who receive non-pharmacological treatments was below 35%. The primary explanations for the low availability of non-pharmacological treatments were: lack of human and financial resources, lack of training for clinicians, and pharmacotherapy dominance in the treatment for schizophrenia. Conclusion: Lack of personal and institutional resources and state support were identified as primary obstacles to staff training and delivering non-pharmacological treatments to people with schizophrenia on individual and systemic levels, respectively. This evidence can be used to improve holistic, evidence-based treatment for schizophrenia in the SEE countries

A family approach to severe mental illness in post-war Kosovo

This study describes the effects of a psychoeducational multiple-family group program for families of people with severe mental illness in post-war Kosovo that was developed by a Kosovar-American professional collaborative. The subjects were 30 families of people with severe mental illnesses living in two cities in Kosovo. All subjects participated in multiple-family groups and received family home visits. The program documented medication compliance, number of psychiatric hospitalizations, family mental health services use, and several other characteristics, for the year prior to the groups and the first year of the groups. The families attended an average of 5.5 (out of 7) groups, and 93% of these families attended four or more meetings. The uncontrolled pre- to post-intervention comparison demonstrated decreases in medication non-compliance and hospitalizations, and increases in family mental health service use. The program provided training for mental health professionals, led to policy change in the Ministry of Health, and resulted in dissemination to other community mental health centers. This study provides preliminary evidence that a collaboratively designed and implemented psychoeducational, multiple-family program is a feasible and beneficial intervention for families of people with severe mental illness in impoverished post-war settings