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Symptoms of depression and anxiety in adolescents and their caregivers: A cross-sectional study from North Macedonia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2023

I. Kunovski ,
F. Bolinski ,
M. Raleva ,
R. Isjanovska ,
G. Kalpak ,
A. Novotni ,
B. Stefanovski ,
K. Hadzihamza  and
S. Bajraktarov
I. Kunovski*
Affiliation:
1University Clinic of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, North Macedonia
F. Bolinski
Affiliation:
2Netherlands Institute for Mental Health and Addiction - Trimbos Institute, Utrecht, Netherlands
M. Raleva
Affiliation:
1University Clinic of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, North Macedonia
R. Isjanovska
Affiliation:
3Institute for Epidemiology and Biostatistics with Medical Informatics, Skopje, North Macedonia
G. Kalpak
Affiliation:
1University Clinic of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, North Macedonia
A. Novotni
Affiliation:
1University Clinic of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, North Macedonia
B. Stefanovski
Affiliation:
1University Clinic of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, North Macedonia
K. Hadzihamza
Affiliation:
1University Clinic of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, North Macedonia
S. Bajraktarov
Affiliation:
1University Clinic of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, North Macedonia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Mental health problems have increased internationally during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most data stems from Western countries and there is a clear lack of prevalence rates and potential risk factors from Central and Eastern Europe.

Objectives

To investigate the point prevalence and to provide further information on risk factors of depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescents and their caregivers in North Macedonia after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey study was conducted on adolescents and their caregivers through the school setting in different areas of North Macedonia. Survey items assessed symptoms of depression, anxiety, and respondents’ fear of COVID-19, as well as a number of risk factors, such as gender and living environment.

Results

506 adolescents and 492 caregivers completed the survey. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were mild to moderate in adolescents and their caregivers. Women and girls generally scored higher than men and boys, and adolescents in high school scored higher than those in elementary school. Prevalence rates for depression were 29.2% for adolescents and 10.4% for caregivers, while rates of anxiety were 23.7% for adolescents and 6.1% for caregivers.

Conclusions

This study provides a first insight into the mental health of adolescents and their caregivers after the COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia. Further research is required to investigate the relatively low reported rates of caregivers’ mental health problems compared to data from other countries.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 66 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 31st European Congress of Psychiatry , March 2023 , pp. S201
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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