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Prevalent mental health problems three years after NATO bombing of Serbia
May 27, 2004Depression and post-traumatic stress disorder "remain a significant public health concern" three years after the 1999 NATO campaign in Serbia, according to an article published this week in BMC Medicine. Refugees and people living in remote areas are particularly vulnerable to suffering from mental health problems.
Almost half the people questioned had symptoms of depression and more than one in eight had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
American researchers teamed up with doctors from a university hospital in Belgrade and a district hospital in a Serbian enclave in Laplje Selo, Kosovo to assess the mental state of patients visiting their accident and emergency departments. 562 patients, none of who were suffering from acute conditions, completed a questionnaire about their exposure to traumatic events and their experience of a variety of symptoms of depression or PTSD.
Older patients, those with lower levels of social support, and those that were unemployed were more likely to have symptoms of depression. People who had been a refugee longer than 30 days and those living in remote Laplje Selo were more likely to be suffering from symptoms of PTSD. A large proportion of participants in this study had features of both mental health disorders.
It is perhaps not surprising that Serbian residents of Laplje Selo are at high risk of suffering from a mental health disorder. The researchers write, "despite the general improvement of conditions in the region, the Serb minority continues to lack freedom of movement and access to basic services including access to health care."
The prevalence of mental health disorders may be overestimated in this study, as the sample is made up of patients in emergency departments who are more likely to be suffering from a mental health disorder than the general population. However, the study does show that physicians in emergency departments are frequently missing opportunities to diagnose mental health conditions.
"What this project tries to highlight is the burden that mental health dysfunction may have on patients that present for care in the aftermath of war," said William Fernandez, one of the authors of the study. He says that the main aim of his project was to raise physicians' awareness that patients in the acute care setting may also be suffering from mental health problems.
"We, as providers, should optimize our screening of persons at-risk for the mental health conditions arising as a consequence of war, such as PTSD and/or depression, and refer them to outpatient treatment," said Fernandez. "Public health officials, clinicians, and others with an interest in humanitarian work should bear in mind that a considerable number of patients who visit emergency departments may still harbour the mental health consequences of war, even three years following the end of armed conflict."
BioMed Central Limited
Older patients, those with lower levels of social support, and those that were unemployed were more likely to have symptoms of depression. People who had been a refugee longer than 30 days and those living in remote Laplje Selo were more likely to be suffering from symptoms of PTSD. A large proportion of participants in this study had features of both mental health disorders.
It is perhaps not surprising that Serbian residents of Laplje Selo are at high risk of suffering from a mental health disorder. The researchers write, "despite the general improvement of conditions in the region, the Serb minority continues to lack freedom of movement and access to basic services including access to health care."
The prevalence of mental health disorders may be overestimated in this study, as the sample is made up of patients in emergency departments who are more likely to be suffering from a mental health disorder than the general population. However, the study does show that physicians in emergency departments are frequently missing opportunities to diagnose mental health conditions.
"What this project tries to highlight is the burden that mental health dysfunction may have on patients that present for care in the aftermath of war," said William Fernandez, one of the authors of the study. He says that the main aim of his project was to raise physicians' awareness that patients in the acute care setting may also be suffering from mental health problems.
"We, as providers, should optimize our screening of persons at-risk for the mental health conditions arising as a consequence of war, such as PTSD and/or depression, and refer them to outpatient treatment," said Fernandez. "Public health officials, clinicians, and others with an interest in humanitarian work should bear in mind that a considerable number of patients who visit emergency departments may still harbour the mental health consequences of war, even three years following the end of armed conflict."
BioMed Central Limited
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Major medical errors self-reported by American surgeons are strongly related to both burnout and depression. Those findings appear today in the online edition of Annals of Surgery. The Mayo Clinic-led study included collaborators from Johns Hopkins and the American College of Surgeons.
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Asthma symptoms can worsen in children with depressed mothers, according to research from Johns Hopkins Children's Center published online in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.
Dispensing prescription drugs in 3-month supplies reduces drug costs by a third
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New Down syndrome treatment suggested by Stanford/Packard study in mice
At birth, children with Down syndrome aren't developmentally delayed. But as they age, these kids fall behind. Memory deficits inherent in Down syndrome hinder learning, making it hard for the brain to collect experiences needed for normal cognitive development.
At-risk college students reduce HBP, anxiety, depression through Transcendental Meditation
The Transcendental Meditation technique may be an effective method to reduce blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and anger among at-risk college students, according to a new study to be published in the American Journal of Hypertension, December 2009.
Teens' mental health affects how long they stay in school, new study shows
Queen's University researcher Steven Lehrer has won a prestigious international award in recognition of his contributions to health economics.
Ethnic pride may boost African-American teens' mental health
Most adolescents who belong to an ethnic minority group wrestle not only with their self-esteem (like most teens), but also with identity issues unique to their ethnic group, such as dealing with social stigma. A new study tells us that young people's ethnic pride may affect their mental health.
Faulty body clock may make kids bipolar
Malfunctioning circadian clock genes may be responsible for bipolar disorder in children. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Psychiatry found four versions of the regulatory gene RORB that were associated with pediatric bipolar disorder.
Women with asthma feel worse
Women with asthma are more anxious, find it harder to sleep and are more tired during the day than their male counterparts, but nevertheless tend to be better at following their treatment.
Connection between depression and osteoporosis detailed by Hebrew University researchers
Research carried out among thousands of people has shown a clear connection between depression and a loss of bone mass, leading to osteoporosis and fractures.
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