Assessment of mental health in adults of the northern part of the city of Kosovska Mitrovica

Abstract

Background/Aim. Mental health disorders lead to disorder of effective functioning of people and deterioration of quality of life. Early detection of individuals at risk of mental health disorders is extremely important from the aspect of mental health disorders prevention. The aim of the research was to determine the frequency of mental health problems among adult residents of northern Kosovska Mitrovica and to examine the association between frequency of mental health problems and socio-demographic and other characteristics of the population obtained by the questionnaire. Methods. The cross-sectional study on the representative sample of adult residents of northern Kosovska Mitrovica was performed in October 2009. To obtain information about the characteristics of mental health the Goldberg?s General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) was used. For performing survey at site the method of rapid epidemiological assessment was chosen. Statistical analysis included the methods of descriptive statistics, multivariate regression analysis and calculation of the Cronbach?s alpha coefficient of internal consistency of the questionnaire. Results. Mental health problems (total score) were present in almost half of the respondents (49.2%). Psychosomatic problems were present in more than half of the respondents (55.4%), while anxiety and insomnia were present in almost half of the respondents (49.2%). Social dysfunction had more than three fifths of the respondents (63.1%) and depression more than a quarter of the respondents (28.5%). More positive responses in the questionnaire were statistically significantly associated with older age, poor financial situation, abuse and assessing of the current political-security situation as high risk. The value of Cronbach?s alpha coefficient was 0.705. Conclusions. Almost half of the respondents (49.2%) of North Kosovska Mitrovica had mental health problems. Mental health problems were associated with older age, poor financial situation, abuse and considering the current political security situation as high-risk factor.Uvod/Cilj. Poremecaji mentalnog zdravlja dovode do poremecaja efektivnog funkcionisanja ljudi i znacajno uticu na pogorsanje kvaliteta zivota. Rano otkrivanje osoba se rizikom od obolevanja od mentalnih poremecaja izuzetno je znacajno sa stanovista prevencije mentalnih problema. Cilj istrazivanja bio je da se utvrdi ucestalost problema sa mentalnim zdravljem medju odraslim stanovnicima severne Kosovske Mitrovice i ispita povezanost ucestalosti problema sa mentalnim zdravljem i socijalno-demografskih i drugih karakteristika stanovnika dobijenih upitnikom. Metode. Istrazivanje je uradjeno kao studija preseka na reprezentativnom uzorku odraslog stanovnistva severne Kosovske Mitrovice u oktobru 2009. godine. Za dobijanje informacija o karakteristikama mentalnog zdravlja koriscen je Goldbergov Upitnik za opste zdravstveno stanje. Za anketiranje na terenu izabran je metod brze epidemioloske procene. Statisticka analiza ukljucila je metode deskriptivne statistike, multivarijantnu regresionu analizu i izracunavanje Kronbahovog alfa koeficijenta interne konzistencije upitnika. Rezultati. Probleme sa mentalnim zdravljem (ukupan rezultat) imala je skoro polovina ispitanika (49,2%). Psihosomatske probleme imalo je nesto vise od polovine ispitanika (55,4%). Anksioznost i insomniju imala je skoro polovina ispitanika (49,2%). Socijalnu disfunkciju imalo je vise od tri petine (63,1%) a depresiju nesto vise od cetvrtine ispitanika (28,5%). Veci broj pozitivnih odgovora u upitniku statisticki je znacajno povezan sa starijim zivotnim dobom, losijim materijalnim stanjem, zlostavljanjem i procenom trenutne politicko-bezbednosne situacije kao visoko rizicne. Vrednost Kronbahovog alfa koeficijenta iznosila je 0,705. Zakljucak. Skoro polovina (49,2%) stanovnika severne Kosovske Mitrovice imala je problema sa mentalnim zdravljem. Problemi sa mentalnim zdravljem povezani su sa starijim zivotnim dobom, losim materijalnim stanjem, zlostavljanjem i procenom trenutne politicka-bezbednosne situacije kao faktorom visokog rizika.